September 26th 1982

Against any odds that a sensible bookie would give you, Dick spotted us this morning, + by using a bit of diesel wind, came up alongside.  A few more pictures taken.  Then we played catch as catch can for the rest of the day.  First he pulled away from us, then we caught up, + finished the day by pulling apart again.  It really has been great company to hear Dick’s cheery voice booming in over the VHF – it makes me smile every time I hear him.

Today I read “Flashman – The Great Game” + really enjoyed it immensely.  I’ve heard of the Flashman books, but never before got round to reading any.  It was very funny, + entirely successful in making me both like and laugh with Flashman, I must read more of them.  By the way, altho’ cocooned in our little home upon the ocean, we keep up with world news.  The big thing at the moment is the massacre of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, + the degree of blame attaching itself to Israel.  The government there seems to be admitting more + more, as it becomes impossible to keep the lid on things.  They seem to have made a real cock-up of things, + I think will have done themselves incalculable international harm.

I cooked up a stew in the evening, but Doug at least was not really in a position to appreciate it, having hit the rum bottle even heavier than usual, + was really pretty sloshed – even Dick noticed that over the VHF.  Doug got very angry with a radio ham operator in Australia, who got on his high horse about not passing a message on to an Australian friend of Doug’s.  Strictly speaking, passing on a message to a third party is illegal, but with tact + diplomacy, it can be done.  Doug railed for some time about bloody Aussies… as well as bloody Kiwis, poms + Americans before stomping off to bed.  I don’t normally comment on such things, but I made love with Val (this in itself being something of a rare occurrence, given the needs to keep watch, lack of privacy, etc.) + tho’ I don’t like to boast about my prowess (especially since the rum Val had no doubt played its part) but Val slept so soundly afterwards that this time she slept thro’ her watch.  She was meant to get up + look round at 12, + then wake Doug… she slept thro’ till 3.30!  Rum-ti-tum.

At least a fuller entry, the fun and games with Blue Moves prov iding a rare note of variety into what are otherwise pretty dull days. And a spot of literary appreciation, though I never have gotten around to reading any more Flashman. And some political comment, though Israel seems to have survived any temporary international outrage. And then there’s Doug being somewhat the worse for wear, and taking it out on the radio. Ever since Dave, (Crusader Dave) we have had our concerns about the combination of booze and sailing. (Though Jack went to the opposite extreme, and that was no better.)