Passports... oh yes it expired!

Medication... oh yes! don't even go there.... an off-shore First Aid kit
is a small Pharmacy... looks interesting on paper BUT it's an other story
when you try to sort it all in different categories and then you don't
even want to think why they would have to use morphine or adrenaline etc

Food... oh yes it is going to be a quick race! Yeah right! and if the sea
is rough the boys won't eat much BUT if it is calm they eat like horses -
but what to horses eat on a yacht? ask them... (big mistake) the first two
days it is cold so we WANT porridge for breakfast, no raisins....
pfffffffft sure! Thank God for wives, they make nice stews for dinner.
Horses graze all day long... cups of soup, noodles, chocolates, lollies,
nuts, muesli bars... Lunch? bread filled with something... "what ever comes"
was my motto... WRONG! NO cabbage, NO mustard, NO chicken, NO NO NO
pffffffffffft again.... coffee? no tea, I want Milo Yeah Right! Sugar,
Milk, Water, Apples, Mandarins...

Electronics... oh yes the Laptop, how does the weather fax program work?
simple really if you listen to the instructions! Personal EPIRBs,
Satellite Phone, GPS, SSB, VHF etc AND yes dear can you please load ALL
our CDs on the iPod? It won't take long, right? pffffffffft sure!

Life Raft? has it been serviced? man that thing is heavy AND we also need
a grab bag with rations for 7 men... tin opener, water and measuring cup -
tick all here!

THEN all the paperwork... customs, MAF, media, insurance etc! Off Shore
yachting experience, next of kin, travel insurance, return flights...

so the car packed to the roof with "things" for the race - get to the dock
on Saturday morning AND? NO wind... no nothing - not even excitement...
heck what is wrong? wave good bye, be safe, be careful, try to keep in
touch and we see you up there, love you - see you soon

they are GONE - tears? surely not...

drive back home - couldn't see the start - too much fog. Quick turn the
computer on to see where they are... still no wind, but rain. Sleep don't
think about the boat, they'll be fine! keep checking on the internet, some
boats heading for shelter - REVS keeps on battling - of course! trying to
sleep again, the wind is blowing outside, back to the computer, they are
still going... can't be nice out there - they'll be fine, they've done it
before and they were ok! try to sleep again - fail!

What happened? they've turned around - are they all ok? damage? loads of
phone calls from loads of different people, even a radio station... still
no word from the crew... reassuring the wives... panic... THEN FINALLY a
phone call. they are all good and should be home in about 3 hours! YAY

better go and sort the custom papers! pffffffffft

Manuela 

Tags: Auckland To Noumea