6/12/11 - Lord Nelson

Dear diary,

Today is Monday and, with Spain on the horizon, it is safe to say that we have successfully crossed the Bay of Biscay. We are making an unscheduled stop in La Coruna to buy a new electric pencil sharpener for the Captain and celebrate Chip's Birthday. Having left Southampton on Thursday we have been immersed in ship routine for the last 4 days. There has been much watching, much sleeping, and for the increasing majority much eating. Dolphins have offered some company and comments have been passed that they are arguably more attractive than the galley maids. Everyone is enjoying the voyage.

6th Dec blog of the day. Written in Nellie's bar with the kind aid of James, Kirsten, Neil, Aoife (pronounced anyway you like), Katie, Capt John, Jon the mate, Dave the cook and Mandy the little cooks ass. Oh, Ian just walked in.

So today's main topic of interest has been spray tans and the very interesting issues it raises such as, what happens to your eyelids, don't they stick together? Do you charge based on surface area? The interrogation of Aoife (who runs a spray tan empire in Goat's town, Dublin - call 0800 whitepatchesbegone or www.whitepatchesbegone.ie.) even continued up the mast. The race is on to find out more about said subject.

In other news, the vessel left the sleepy anchorage near La Coruna after a night of the Polish 2/O (Marcin) dancing and entertaining the crew with his stellar vocal performance (poetic licence may have been taken in description of the talents displayed). We also had singing and guitar strumming from Malcolm and Dan but fortunately this time, the mate was able to sleep as they didn't all insist on banging on the deck! His new ear plugs also paid off, the miserable so and so. This frivolity was all in aid of celebrating Chipp's the second Engineer's birthday. The bar was decorated with a Guinness theme.

Proving we're not as old as we look, at least half of the crew have dodgy Advent Calendars (Chipp's has Hello Kitty, Capt John has Thomas the Tank Engine, Lesley the Bosun has Wallace & Gromit, Katie the BM has Peppa Pig).
We're eagerly counting down the sleeps left until Christmas and trying not to cheat by opening the doors early to eat all of the chocolates.

Yazz has quit smoking Jon the mate has quit eating chocolate (except for those in his Doctor Who Advent Calendar). I only hope she doesn't last much longer as he fears he is already having withdrawal symptoms.

Although we didn't get the square sails set today, we did at least have a climb in slightly adverse conditions and put the top sails in their gear ready for the first chance to set them!

The wind lords and Neptune have conspired against us once again in managing to thwart any attempt to get the square sails out but rest assured, we will have them out soon!

Signing off from the bar, love Nellie and crew xx oo xx p.s. o's mean hugs as my little sister told me.