26/10/12 - Lord Nelson

Day 8 26th Oct
We’re now exactly 70 miles due west of Cape Finisterre after a truly wonderful sail across the Bay of Biscay, with just one day of uncomfortable weather with winds gusting 25 knots! Last night we came on watch to find the sea bathed in silver moonlight and such a good wind that at one point we reached 7.5 knots with 9 sails set. We’re now enjoying glorious sunshine and blue skies. Last night the starboard deck heads were out of bounds as one of our visiting birds had taken up residence there. This morning our chaffinch family has grown to 8, though none hatched on board, and they are now so tame they wait around the deck for the crumbs from smoko! The team of engineers are busily continuing with their mysterious work below decks and behind and under bunks. Rumour has it that we’ll be enjoying air-conditioning by the time we meet Neptune at the equator! This morning the voyage crew gathered for a special meeting with Captain Barbara at which she introduced us to the two symbolic items that Lord Nelson is carrying on this Round the World voyage, namely the Paralympic Torch and the Baton. The latter is a reminder to us all of the heroism and courage of our Armed Forces and was formerly the handle of one of the stretchers used in Hellmand Province in Afghanistan. Two of our fellow crew members suffered injuries there and so the Baton is of special significance to us all. The women are trying in vain to overcome the humiliation which they experienced this morning: the men had washed and dried their smalls before the women were even out of bed! (Kate, but the laundry news was courtesy of David!) Fwd. Port