The Hawaiian shirt is looking a bit grubby in the strong Newfoundland sunshine as it has now been worn ever since we closed the Labrador coast what seems like a lifetime ago. It turns out that this shirt was an inspired choice of clothing as we have enjoyed warm and sunny days all the way from Makkovik to St Anthony and we are hoping it will also stay with us through to Lewisporte now just 140 miles south east of us. It's just a shame Michael only has the one shirt!
Mike and Joe have been great crew. In many senses polar opposites but they rub along just fine. Mike the dreamer with the vaguest sense of how things work and Joe the technocrat who has, at his finger tips, an astonishing depth and breadth of knowledge. Joe's the man to help when puzzling over the jumpers on the isolating transformer but Mike's your man if you want a more whimsical conversation about life and lifestyles.
Both Joe and Mike have adapted to life on board SHIMSHAL without any drama, tears or, it appears, regrets. Joe is always happy if he has an iceberg to photograph and there have been many of those. Mike has got a camera on his phone but he's not sure how to use it. Mike's a sworn technophobe but curiously he's always the first to hook into any spare Wi-fi that Joe has. And what does he look at when he's browsing Joe's airtime? Well it's boats of course! A Nicholson 35 for sale in Holland or a Pocock 27 in Dun Laoghaire. Both a chance to dream a little .
The happy crew of SHIMSHAL are now embarked on the last lap of their long journey from Arctic chills to the wooded shores and summer warmth of Newfoundland. We left St Anthony at first light and are chugging south into the light but inescapable headwinds. With luck tonight we should dock in La Scie and anchor tomorrow night in the Exploits Islands with a short day on Tuesday in to Lewisporte and the end of the journey for now.
And then what? Well Sally and I will probably hire a car from Gander airport and bundle the mainsail in the boot so that we can drop it off for repair in St John's on our way to the airport and our flight home on Saturday. All planned, more or less down to the last detail. Joe, is now so starved of speedy data connections he will probably head to Halifax and a flight home to rescue his customers from a summer of neglect. Mike, on the other hand isn't quite sure. He's found a boat in Halifax he might buy and sail back to Ireland. Or he might not. What's for sure is that he needs a trip to the laundry just as soon as we are docked in Lewisporte as there's no sign of the Hawaiian shirt being retired anytime soon.