4KSB ¹

Today I'm on a tour of Floriana one of the other Galapagos islands. Except I'm not. There's only a few people left in the fleet, not on the grand tour are: me Duco off Briet and maybe the Miss Tippys and "rally control" aka Tony left. Plus about 5 on the way to Floriana for the day. I'm alone on Island Kea, having had about 2 hours sleep. 50ft in front of me is a couple of hundred tons of noisy floating generator. Before last night it was about 100 yards away. It's noisy its exhaust stinks and its already dragged its anchor once.

Even if I was able to get the stern anchor up, and manoeuvre and get the main anchor up on my own, a daunting prospect. I'm not sure I could. I suspect my main anchor is about where the lump in front's rudder post is.

 "The Boat in front is a Toyboata" So is in need of break pedal²

$500 Dollar bar bill outstanding

So here's me, Dave's already commented in the South Pacific Welcomes Careful Drivers blog post that I wasn't selling the dream of sailing very well. Here's doing it again. I admit last night was unpleasant, scary and unnerving. As was the Plyita indecent. I was in serious need of a night sleep as well. Too many parties. The Blue Water Rally is band from leaving the islands at present (no Zarpee for us) due to the overwhelming success of the one on Tuesday night. Now dressing up in women's clothes is a tradition for crossing the line ceremonies. But the rallyists have taken it to heart. There were only a handful of us NOT in women's clothing on Tuesday. There is apparently a $500 bar bill outstanding too. Hence the ban on us leaving. Port captain says we have to sort it out.

He's, apparently, on his way out now to sort out "Angaligue" as we believe the boat in front is called. Predictably some clouds just come over and were both now rode away a little so it doesn't look so bad. Some time I can't catch a break. If this wind stays like this and the swell dies down I could have gone on my trip after all. Damn.

Now to Dave's very valid criticism of my dream salesmanship, no ones said it was going to be easy. Many people have said, mostly in movies rather than the offices of respected psychiatrists I'll admit. "You can only feel alive when your close to death" or words to that effect. I'm not really like that, I've no real desire to die, nor is it likely to happen. Probably not anyway. I mean even if the big metal lump did hit me he won't sink us. Make a hell of a mess yes, break bits, drag us crunch us splash us yes. But it won't kill me. It won't be repairable here though.

He who stays awake a night still has a boat to sail another day.

I may not enjoy the bad bits when they happen but the lows are the price you pay for the highs. Oh god I've pretty much just quoted Robbie Williams. Tomorrow I will look back on this with a wry smile a sense of relief and hopefully if it all goes well, as it probably will, with pride. So Dave and anyone else who's been reading the more fraught tales. I'm not mad or depressed or insane, well not too insane. And I am proud of my achievements in these trips. When I'm at home I often remember my travels with a gold lustre, I forget the stressful moments or make light of them  feeling the water slopping against my feet in the middle of the night a couple of hundred miles from nowhere in the mid pacific last time is a favourite story of mine, it was a truly unpleasant 5 minutes till I realised we weren't sinking.

 
On the bright side dawn was beautiful

I guess what I'm saying is its not all fun and games and paradise, but Neptune extracts his price. Or Karma or bad luck [insert superstition here]. I'd be quite happy to have spent last night in bed and today snorkelling with sea lions and tortoise prodding. Some people sail off to blue water expecting nothing but sun an flowers. Often it's hubbies idea. The story goes there used to be a divorce lawyer in Barbados who specialised in exactly this sort of misunderstanding. The Atlantic crossing can teach that. Presumably he got the boat and she got the house.

I've heard on the radio that my ticket's been re-sold and I can have my money back, so tomorrow or Saturday I will got to Floriana and snorkel (if they tell me it was any good). I will come back and still have a, afloat, dry laptop to blog about it on.

Did I mention the grand tour? Most of the rally are on a very expensive tour boats around the islands, at the party Tuesday by sheer luck they found out the UK travel agent hadn't paid. No trip. In the end the trip has been guaranteed by the rally, but their credit card ain't good for $40k so bridging loans have been chipped in they've all gone off on there cruise. Steve and Katrin won't find out about last night till they get back. Hopefully they're having a fabulous time and I won't have to lie in front of any more coaches to stop them leaving.

Island Kea Out.

¹ 4ksb = four knot s**t box
² May also have been built by Jeremy Clarkson