The Atlantic Crossing – Peter’s Poem

It was a sunny day in Praia for our first sailing

As we set off west to Fogo where we’re pausing

Wind then calm

Squall then dark

As we motored in, then anchoring.

Arthur and Annalisa did the final shopping

Winnie, Gitane and Peter the final sightseeing

Dinghy stowed aboard

Swimmers back on board

Then off we went, the mainsail hoisting.

We sailed away from Cabo Verde

As slowly the mobile signal fading

A gentle breeze

Sailing with ease

As Arthur tried to fix the cabin creaking.

On the high seas we’ve started rolling

Gentle sailing and we’re rolling

Motor and roll

Sail and roll

Did I mention we’re always rolling?

Now we’re starting the watches day and night

Two hours each, dark or light.

Two hours motoring

For daily charging

Moves the watches on each night.

A ship! After days of empty seas

The monotony we can at last ease

We pass ahead

As green turns to red

We roll on our way as the ship goes east.

Thinking of the lunch Winnie’s preparing

When suddenly the line goes Zing!

Arthur reels it in

A tuna’s in the bin

And shortly its sashimi, steaks and pickling.

Gitane’s day starts with cookie dispensing

To the men with coffee awaking

Then school in the morning

The afternoon spent helping

With dessert, ice cream or sundowners making.

The sails are goosewinged, the genoa poled out

Steering two-forty? Don’t be caught out!

Tuna from the braai

With cayenne in our eye

We tuck in to dinner, autohelm helping out.

Sail ho! We sight a yacht going our way

Much bigger and faster than us today

Part of the ARC fleet

All expecting to meet

Together in St Lucia on Sunday.

Gitane’s ready for dinner, giving us a twirl

Her day seems to have passed in a whirl

The dorado’s in the biryani

And we’re all ready to eat in

The best restaurant in the world!

To Martinique there is still two fifty miles

For white wine we must yet wait awhile

This ocean crossing

Is near its ending

As on Exodus we’re all smiles.

PDR

7/12/2017