Notice to Mariners week 5

[Tiller Girl]

Apologises to all. I've had a grotty day here in Abuja. The anti-malarial tablets side effect of nightmares if you can get to sleep and insomnia once the nightmare has woken you kicked in last night, it's feels like it's been 40 degrees all day, the only breakfast available today was a sort of greasy toast bread, it's dusty, noisy and I am totally fed up with fending off people who want to rook me so I'm just going to bed. Which won't be successful becaused the water and beer I've drunk to stave off dehydration will have me peeing all night. I'll try and post tomorrow night or failing that next Monday I'll catch up on this and last week. From what I can see from a quick look, there isn't anything much to cause leisure craft concern.:disgust:

 

[Koeketiene]

Have your anti-malarial tablets with water at breakfast and the a couple of stiff ones when the sun is over the yardarm.
My grandad - a lifetime in the Congo - swore by scotch.
Prefer G&T myself.

Having your tablets early in the day reduces the lekelyhood of nightmares and the stiff ones assure a good nights' sleep.
Plus, when you sweat at night, the alcohol in your body makes you taste 'bad' to the mozzies.

 

[Cantata]

Why are you doing this, TG? Is West Mersea really so awful?

 

[MoodySabre]

Come home all is forgiven.

 

[Tiller Girl]

Hello chaps: 4.30am here. Wide awake courtesy of a dream involving a red arrows plane, an airfield full of trees with a funfair in the middle, a dead (murdered) body. I am in deep poo because in taxi-ing the red arrows plane, I lost it in the trees, I've cocked up the murder investigation because someone has moved the body into one of the caravans in order to discredit the fun-fair so that action to remove them can be taken so the trees can be cut down. And then Swampy arrived. There is a dog yelping across the road from the Hotel and someone is sweeping the yard with annoying unrythmic sweeps. Still I have just written 30 minutes of useful words for the work.

Yeap, do take the pills early in the morning. Trouble with drinking too much is the night waterworks. Breakfast? ho-ho, that's funny. Didn't get any yesterday.

Dick: I've ordered some news sails
Roger: Friday night 2330 hrs landing 5am Heathrow. Can I give anyone an early call? No charge. (Can I say how lovely the M25 really is. Until you have been here you have no idea of its advantages of smoothness, light traffic, calmness and discipline. Yeah all things are relative)

 

[FullCircle]

Ah, sounds like a page from my own book of exotic foreign travel, you whooping it up at the clients expense while we sit here at home in the gloom. You lucky bugger.
On two occasions I have had an epiphany where, flying over the verdant fields of England toward Gatwick from the South, the perception of the smell of the grass, fish & chips, beer and seashore have all made me resolve to stop travelling.
Having a gap of 5 years dims the memory, and then you accept another poisoned bucket with the illusion that somehow this will be better, even though you know it isn't so.

I am in year 2 of my latest final refusal to tour. I just hope they keep the poisoned bucket away from me until after I retire.

You are in my thoughts. Who did you order the sails from, and did you have all the extra cost gew-gaws?

 

[sailorman]

Have your anti-malarial tablets with water at breakfast and the a couple of stiff ones when the sun is over the yardarm.
My grandad - a lifetime in the Congo - swore by scotch.
Prefer G&T myself.

Having your tablets early in the day reduces the lekelyhood of nightmares and the stiff ones assure a good nights' sleep.
Plus, when you sweat at night, the alcohol in your body makes you taste 'bad' to the mozzies.

Dont you mean G & Tea

 

[Tiller Girl]

Whooping it up at the client's expense? That's a hoot. This is UN money and they are tighter than an over pressed mooring warp. The work itself is fascinating, sometimes frustrating but in the main very rewarding. We are actually highly valued for our knowledge.

They have just said 1. There is as much work here as you want for the next 3 years; 2. Could you come back in March (no I am in Mauritius then with SWMBO), ok 1st April then? Unfortunate date to pick. It's 36 degrees here today, 100% sun, no breeze. In a week's time I am in Yerevan, Armenia where it is currently -7! Eek.

Sails? I have placed my order with Doug Seaden Sails. Not heard of him? Probably because I am his first customer. Not that this will be his first sail. He worked for years at Gowans and is setting up in business for himself. Why? We have discussed my sails frequently. He is a racing sailor and a cruising man. He has taken infinite care in measuring, discussing detail - we have effectively sat and measured and debated every corner of each sail (I am non-standard of course), he will make it himself and as the YC2 launchman, if it goes wrong there isn't going to be a problem. I thought the price was reasonable as well. My intention this year is to pass someone! Seriously I am having a larger genny, adding to the sheet track as a result and will probably find I have to reef earlier but my specification to doug was that I wanted more power when the wind is 10 to 12 knots. At the moment I can sail without a reef up to 20 knots. She really powers up at 18 knots and below 14 knots she is disappointing. Part of this is tired sails, shrunk bolt rope (which could of course have been fixed). The other thing I am thinking of doing is taking off the bilge keels! On the wind at 6kts you can see a second bowwave 'abaft' (I just wanted to use that word) the front of the windward keel. The drag must be terrible.

2 days to go. Arik Air to Lagos tomorrow, BA on Friday.

 

[sailorman]

Doug used to be "The Man" @ Gowen, you will have a nice suit of sails. when you see him say hello from me.

 

[Tiller Girl]

Will do. I am pretty happy with my choice.

 

[sailorman]

Will do. I am pretty happy with my choice.

My Gowen main is 15 yrs old & well used
The Tri radial laminated genoa was a real disappointment due to really bad mildew within the fabric, shape ok apart from a "hinge" 2` in from the leach. it done 7 seasons only

 

[ex-Gladys]

as the YC2 launchman.

Roger, I heard last week that DOug has resigned as Launchman...

 

[Cantata]

Roger, I heard last week that DOug has resigned as Launchman...

Woo-hoo, go for it, Roger, dream job..........

 

[Tiller Girl]

Probably pays more than the UN but the Club has a rules that it will not employ members! I know that the Club said they didn't need a second launchman during the winter - which I guess they don't but that must have rankled but hopefully Doug is confident that his new business will take off. I wish him well because he is a super guy and the attention he has given to my requirements and his willingness to discuss this and that was second to none.

 

[Essex Lad]

... and we know at least one boat you can guarantee to pass (at least to windward), even with the old sails, don't we?