Day 16 – Crew Overboard on the Penultimate Day

Crew Overboard

I was starting to worry the blog wouldn’t be coming today but now I know why….Caribbean time!  So here we have Day 16 – crew overboard!

Day 16

Hello everyone

Our penultimate day at sea!

There was a hole in the wind predicted a week or so ago where there was little or no wind just off St Lucia. We had hoped by the time we reached the area affected, it would have moved on but no such luck! We managed to keep going under sail slightly longer than other yachts due to our northerly approach, but when the wind moved onto our nose and had dropped anyway to below 5 knots, we too had to concede that the engine would be required to get us in, unless that is, we wanted to spend another week 350 miles away from all the celebrations!

One rather unexpected benefit though of this lull, was the chance to go for an Atlantic swim! Crew Overboard.  Skipper Simon had always said that if the opportunity arose he would be the fist to go in and indeed he was! We took it in turns to dive off the bow and swim to the stern where we had trailed some warps and fenders to catch onto. Even in what was then incredibly calm, almost motionless seas with hardly any wind, the speed at which the boat and you drift apart is quite staggering! All safely back on board and lots of photos taken, sprits were as high as they have ever been!

We decided also to go onto St L time today, so all the clocks and watches got put back 4 hours. It made for a longer day of course and as the decision to change happened at 12.30 GMT it was now 8.30 am Caribbean time. Tim, (quick as ever) chipped in that whilst he had was just waking up for his watch and some lunch, it was now really time for breakfast and fancied a full English! Needless to say this was met with a chorus of approval and I was duly dispatched to do the honors. Lunch was served at 2pm local time and consisted of a Gem and Iceberg lettuce salad, with baby tomatoes, beetroot and a balsamic dressing, accompanied by a platter of cheese, some cold meats and warm baguettes. It is such a lovely lunch of which I never tier and reminds me so much of lazy summer holidays spent with my family over the years in various places in France but more latterly in the Dordogne region just outside Bergerac, wonderful memories! Dinner was beef steaks, cooked medium rare with a mushroom and grain mustard sauce and mashed potatoes. All in all delicious and a thoroughly well fed crew.

Fresh stocks continue to hold up well and we could easily be out here for another couple of weeks and still not have to resort to tins. I have to say too that the galley on these Discovery yachts is a real pleasure to work in and with the integrated galley system that we supply to Discovery and other leading boat builders is extremely safe and efficient. Both Discovery and ourselves regard and describe it as the benchmark for modern galley design and fit.The only other consideration for anyone looking to do long ocean passages with their yacht would be the refrigerated under floor gastronorm container pods and other gastronorm storage options and to perhaps upgrade from the standard/traditional single axis gimbaled GN Espace cooker to our unique multi directional gimbaled version (MDG). All the cookers come with the choice of either gimbals but with the MDG version you have the advantage of a cooker that takes care of pitch as well as heel and has an almost gyroscopic effect, ensuring an even more level, comfortable and safe cooking experience whilst at sea. The other advantage with this particular model is that it gives yacht designers an alternative as to where they can site the cooker in the galley, traditionally on the port or starboard sides of the yacht. With this version it allows for the cooker to be fitted athwart ships if required and consequently can lead to more options in galley design and layout.

Look forward to updating you all on our arrival in St L in around 20 hours time. JK 

For more details on the gastronorm system visit GN Espace

Follow Casamara’s arrival on the Fleet Viewer

Image: Crew Overboard courtesy of someone on board!