Life on board Kincsem follows a standard routine.  We have 4 three hour night watches from 2100 to 0900 and three four hour day watches from 0900 to 2100 boat time.  All five of us go watches by ourselves which maximizes the time that everyone gets to sleep -  although sometimes someone needs to help the person on watch even at night.  The morning watch from 0600 to 0900 is usually the time when the first crew members not on watch assemble in the cockpit and someone starts cutting up some of the surprisingly many fruits that remain.  Then someone fires up the coffee and the serious breakfasters get down to business after 0900.  By then we have downloaded the weather reports and the routing for the day is discussed.   The first day watch is 0900 to 1300 and lunch is usually served around 1300.  But the real highlights of the day start to happen in the afternoon:  1730 hours boat time is our standard Happy Hour. 

 

Daniel the can crusher at work after Happy Hour!

This is preceded by Shower Hour for which we turn on the water heater for ½ hour before.  For Happy Hour, we generally offer alcohol free and real beers – one per person only – as well as nibbles!  Everyone is truly happy by about 1800 and preparations for dinner can commence.  For that, the generator goes on to make water, fuel the electric stove and to charge the batteries.  Dinner is then served at 1900 and after that and dish washing, much of the crew – other than the person on watch - generally retires to their quarters by 2000! 

 

The last few days our routine has been pleasantly interrupted by a number of celebrations.  First, there was the Bergfest – the celebration of being over ½ done with the race.  Then there was the celebration of having sailed 2,000 miles, followed the next day with a celebration of having less than 1,000 miles to go.  After 10 days plus with no or very limited alcohol, these days were duly celebrated with gin and tonics and other spirits  but also phantastic Broetchen made by Almut for lunch! 

 

 

Bergfest lunch

 

 

Dinner after the 1,000 miles celebration!

 

Now we are debating which will be the next celebration.  There were voices advocating a celebration every 100 miles but then some thought that might impede top performance for the balance of the trip (which, as has been mentioned, is a race of some sort).  So now the bidding has settled on there being just one more celebration before the finish – 500 miles to go.  If all goes well, that will occur on Monday, December 4, with the finish celebration lurking around December 7!

 

But there has been another disruption of our routine:  Daniel caught a fish!  In a first on Kincsem since it was launched, Daniel caught a green/yellow 4 pound “Yellow Jack”!!  With the expert help of Achim, it was duly brought on board and fileted.   The consumption is scheduled for later today!