Leg 1 Day 16 : Heading for the doldrums

We are still heading South West for the proving grounds that will be the doldrums. The wind is changing direction like a drunk on a bicycle and our spinnaker pole is moving forward and back accordingly. Fortunately the wind strength remains relatively constant, which negates the need for loads of
kite changes, a relief in this incessant heat. Trimming the spinnaker hour after hour is having its affect though. I currently have a face like a lobster, eyes like a panda and sitting in one place for long periods reminds me of a baboon reference - but I won't go into detail. The spinnaker guy is
showing the strain in the form of chafe and David Melville showed his 'pole riding' abilities as we swapped it for the lazy guy with the spinnaker still up. The loss of the last six inches of the guy rope in the repair shouldn't cause any problems. Work below decks is very hot indeed and the off watch
crew can be found sweating in their bunks or huddled around the two fans in the galley. At midday, in a moment of off-watch madness, the Sony stereo was turned up full blast with a Scissor Sisters CD inside (one of David's) and some gentle head rocking was followed by an impromptu display of 70's disco dancing. The food menu is repeated (in more ways than one) every ten days so there are some disappointments when we see some bad memories served up again but we are adapting by eating more of what we like when we know a bad one's coming up. The treats, chocolate/cereal bars etc, are already hard currency and the smokers onboard are twitching nervously at their diminishing supplies of tobacco. Stephen Allberry's thought for the day is: "the ocean
is a big desert". We think he might be suffering from the heat but with this crew it's sometimes difficult to tell!