 |
Daily report, tuesday
18 september (Paris)
<<<
- >>>
Adrenalin on the Pacific
Position at 6H00 (Paris) :
9° 56 S / 116° 06 W
Yesterday afternoon, the weather
was summery in Paris (yes I decided to mention Paris, I spend
my time talking about weather conditions on the Pacific…),
and let’s face it it is still the summer so… Eric,
Raphaëla’s brother (not mine) joined us at the
PC, a quarter of an hour ago, perfect timing to speak with
his sister. We converse, the phone is ringing…
- "Raphaëla, how are you?'
- "Not great (it’s always strange when
someone replies negatively at this question), the watermaker
did not function properly last night. The can is empty. I
dived under the hull to check the water opening , it’s
clean. I don’t understand. I must call Guy. I don’t
have the time to talk".
- "OK, Guy is there so you can call him. Give me
your position before hanging up." This is her only
concession. 2 mn 30 have gone by. At least Eric
wont be late at his next appointment !
Five minutes later, the technician from Radio France is going
over as he does every day the recording- the telephone rings….
…. Panic, the line is already busy and I recognize the
number of the surfboard, "quick, quick, the line".
There we go!
- "Hélène, I cant reach Guy, the line
is busy it keeps on ringing".
- "Wait a quarter of an hour and I’ll call
Guy ", It’s James Bond, let’s set out watches
right!
- "What, a quarter of an hour !"
- "Yes , Raphaëla, a quarter of an hour, call
me back in a a quarter of an hour ".
I end up by reaching Guy who is in his boat. We agree that
he will race back home to speak with her on his land line
phone , "I will get there in _ hour, enough time
to close the boat and cross Lorient ". At 17H00
there is probably more traffic than in the Pacific….…
Raphaëla calls back the PC.
- "What !In half an hour ! And why couldn’t
I get in touch with Guy ?"
- "Listen Raphaëla he went to the toilet (I
admit telling a white lie to calm the situation) and now
he must go home, and it is not quite next door, OK?"
- "OK, speak to you tonight".
I go back to the office , put my things away and the phone
rings …Pacific in direct, I am starting to get a little
worried.
- "Everything is ok, I fixed the problem and spoke
with Guy, there is a small tube behind the DESSAL that was
unplugged so I plugged it again and it works". I
sit down, I breathe. "Would you mind calling Guy
to let him know, call him please". And I find out
about the second breakdown: the Iridium land line phone does
not work… I get up. "I am calling you from
the cell, it appears to work, but I am fed up, I want to navigate".
After 2 hours of complete
panic this morning, the rest of the day progresses well. "The
sun was shining all day, the sea was calm. No large swell.
Personally, I don’t care… 12 to 15 wind knots,
she almost regretted not having rigged the 5,7 m2 sail. "And
I chewed over all day, I was not satisfied with myself, I
was angry at myself for having panicked so quickly. But these
things happen when you are alone like this, my mind goes in
all directions and I imagine the worst breakdowns, and those
are the 2 I am most worried about: the watermaker and the
telephone"…
Her phone is glued to her hear, the temperature is up to 25° C
- 30° C inside the board, "as I tried to
call you earlier on, I was dripping all over …".
The meat sack is also dripping it is completely humid, "it
stinks I am going to get rid of it ". Not overboard,
don’t worry…
She continues to keep an eye
on the goose barnacles "this morning I chucked 2
or 3 real quick, it was messy, and I did not want to stay
too long in the water". I learn that in fact she
jumped into the water "bzoum without eating, without
my suit. I stayed 2 minutes. Next week if it is more
calm, I’ll go back for another anti goose barnacles
operation… ".
 |
 |
Photo : Odyssée du vent
2003 |
|
|
