Position 07°55’251S 014°24’786W
At anchor, Georgetown, Ascension Island, South Atlantic Ocean.
Hi dear friends, thank you for following our journey, here is this weeks update.
I am sending this out on Monday, a day late as we were invited out to an all you can eat meal on the USA base on Sunday, more on that in a minute.
Firstly an item I missed out last week, the launch of the ‘Queen Atlantis’. This is basically a vessel used to ferry passenger from either ship to shore who are using the RMS service. Although built in South Africa she was designed in England based on the requirements put forward by the locals here. Okay, so she is an ugly thing and cost £150,000.00 (plus £42,000.00 of spares) and moves on the water like a pregnant pig I do hope she fulfils her roll. The name was chosen by running a naming competition throughout the schools here.
Back to this weeks news…..
Time to move on, I have delayed our departure until Monday the 30th January because our friends working at the USA air force base wanted to give us some fresh vegetables, fruit as well as pork and chicken among many others. This was going to be sent to the boat on Sunday morning but unfortunately there was a 3,5 metre swell and so we were unable to land. It also has been a very busy week with many fair well drinks, indeed we were invited to the USA air force base – ‘Airhead’ on Saturday night for the staff Christmas do. That’s right, their Christmas do. Although restricted to staff on the base we were invited as guest, this proved to be cracking night with a free bar and free food, although I lost count of how many peace’s of chicken I had after 10 or 12. We have been their several times, to be more precise the Volcano club which is located on the base. Here, next to the bar is a fast food outlet, you order your food, go for a drink or two then when ready you can bring the food into the bar area. A big burger and fries works out at under £2.00 or a chicken dinner (4 or 5 large portions of chicken and fries for £3.50. On Sunday we were taken to an all you can eat meal being held in the mess on the base, we tried to pay the $8 but Steve, his wife Winy and friends would not let us do so needles to say we had several visits to the food counters.
Later more friends, Ian the skipper of MV Shy III a local game fishing boat gave us a big bag of Wahoo (Barracuda) while Larry gave us some Tuna, Dorado’s and Groper so our fridge is now fully to the gunwales. Larry also gave me some spares for our engine, an impeller and associated bits..
Life onboard:
We are feel a lot happier as the part arrived last Monday, we picked the part up at 14:45hrs and by 17:00hrs it was fitted and working. We invited some of our new friends here out sailing on Thursday and Friday, for us it was a test of the new steering cables while for them it was a relaxing sail, not only just a day for them to chill out but for us to say thank you for looking after us during our stay here.
Fair winds and calm seas.
David.