Day 24 – Monday

“Big Brother” at sea! I definitely believe it can work. This is what it’s like being on board Hot Ice some days. The crew have now not seen anyone else other than each other in 24 days. Our outside contact is limited. Although we get on with each other as a crew, at different stages little groups form where you spend more time with these people than the others. Getting some space on your own is difficult so most retire to their bunks. Watching us sleep would be more fun than Big Brother as we rock around with the boat and find ourselves sleeping at the most odd angles and there is always a chance of watching someone fall from a bunk. We create the tasks on board so no need for those to be introduced. Funny sayings are a plenty on board but I guess are only funny to us. One of our catch phrases has emanated from the name of the Spanish ham that Jean brought, Jarmon. Now when we need anything done we shout for example “gammon, gaamon” wake up rather than “come on come on wake up”!

Good news today the wind held from overnight and actually got stronger. We have probably had our best run since those early days. We alternated between winging it and beam reaching. Mark asked us to use the head at night rather than hang over the side. We are moving a lot faster and the sea is rougher again. The sudden dips and lunges are more violent and we are having to get used to being more careful again.

We saw another few birds, so there are signs of other life again. Still no fish though. A plane past over and we could only see the jet stream, but you would have thought we needed rescued as everyone went on deck to observe.

Kevin, as you know, has been having this problem with flies in his cabin decided to dissect one to establish if they have teeth, much to our amusement. He feels they might be living off us. On squashing them a blood like substance comes out. We are not suffering from bites though. Kevin is a sea researcher so I think his natural talents are just coming out.

People are reading more during the day and sleeping, having run out of conversation. Mikes finger seems to be getting better.

Mark made a chicken curry for dinner with broad beans and rice. The evening was warm and cloudy.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.”

― Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or, Life in the Woods

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