Green eggs and ham

I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them..., or cleaning smashed rotting egg. What remained of our egg supplies has been sent to depths of the Pacific. They probably would have been confiscated by the quarantine authorities in Noumea anyway, but sadly it looks as though cake baking is off until we arrive.

Found the first flying fish of the trip on the deck this morning - too small to cook - then soon after saw another "flying" across the waves but compared with previous trips we've seen relatively little marine life. The albatrosses have vanished, although we have an occasional visit by stormy petrels (a least that's what we think they are). No sign of yesterday's fan-tail and still no success fishing - I'll try a different lure tomorrow.

Charlotta has been suffering from sea-sickness and rather than be tempted by the array of sea-sickness drugs I offer her, she has stoically decided to wait for the arrival of her sea-legs. They still haven't fully arrived which has made her reevaluate the whole idea of sailing back to Europe. Currently, it looks as though she'll return from Noumea via plane. That said her appetite returned when I created an allegedly "traditional" Swedish dish of hotdogs, mashed potatoes and grated carrots and she managed half the remains of yesterday's pizza this evening. If things continue to improve I've been promised "Janson's Temptation" tomorrow evening which sounds like a potato gratin with added anchovies - here's hoping. Note to self: giving sea-sickness prone crew the berth under broken egg locker probably not best plan for encouraging swift recovery or continued sailing enthusiasm.

We finally gave up the pretence of sailing in the second half of the night and motored till dawn. Then drifted along for another few hours before giving-in to the engine again. The wind has shifted more to the east and we're currently on a reach making around 4 knots. The sea is practically calm with a large long swell from the south providing some interest; peaceful, if slow sailing.

I've also started to pay more attention to navigation around New Caledonia and have adjusted the way-point from a relatively random position just south of the outer reef to the reef break we're aiming for, further north. Unfortunately that adds another 35 miles to the total distance so unless the wind picks up significantly we'll miss the 7 day passage we planned and arrive sometime on Saturday.

Let me know if anyone fancies taking an extended break, starting in New Caledonia and ending back in the UK ....



Position @ 23:59: S27°57.7' E169°43.7'
Distance to Noumea: 373
Conditions: E 5-15