30/08/12 - Tenacious

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM! Love from Marilyn xx
The voyage crew are settling in nicely on Tenacious having arrived this afternoon. They are now getting to know each other over a tipple or two in the bar. Sue is feeling very pleased with herself for not only going aloft but getting onto the yard which she says is more than she managed last year.
We have an 11 day voyage lined up to France, hopefully sailing to la Rochelle, although Captain Simon will be examining the charts and assessing what the weather is doing throughout the voyage and planning our route accordingly.
As I type, BM Paulo is strumming away on the guitar playing the soundtrack to a French film and Bosun Glenn has stopped talking to the computer and to himself in the office (a pastime he frequently partakes in!) and is having a strum on the guitar too, but has announced how he is not too impressed as it is out of tune!
Volunteer Jill has been busy getting all the stores packed away which arrived today to keep us going through the voyage. Several boxes of random items were being chucked onto the deck this morning…raisins, tinned pineapple, flour, loo roll, loaves, mango chuckney! etc etc and we formed a big production line and managed to get it all on board without breaking any of the eggs, which was a result.
Prior to today we had two day sails just off Southampton Harbour which were enjoyed by all, thanks mainly to cook Graham and his assistants Marion, Hammy and Joy who produced an amazing buffet lunch. On the Saturday it was nice and sunny so we ate the buffet on deck, but on Sunday it was more blustery so we ate indoors. Graham’s food is really going down well especially his bananas in a potent rum and cream sauce.
The shop proved popular during both the day sails, particularly among the male crew members (you know who you are Glen and Rob…oops did I let that one slip!) who decided or were coerced by each other into buying a shocking pink polo shirt each and mincing around the deck. Then the girlies, including myself, bought one too as we didn’t want to miss out on all the excitement…!
Well I’m stuck between both the guitarists right now and they keep forgetting the words to all the songs so I’d better sign off now and help them out with the singing.
Bye for now,
Marilyn MP