It's Thursday morning, we're just 250 miles from the Indian coast, and in theory, we should be able to make landfall by late afternoon. It won't happen though. Somehow our fuel calculations are slightly awry, and we've had to reduce our speed to 12 knots in order to keep our fuel consumption within acceptable bounds. Were at the very limit of the boat's range. So we won't arrive until tomorrow morning. But we will arrive.

Last night's drama comes at around the same time as yesterday's flying fish fiasco. Alan Carter is outside on the aft deck with the stove, getting ready to cook up our evening meal, when suddenly there are shouts of "help!" We look out of the cabin to see the stove engulfed in a ball of flame, and Alan attacking it with a towel.

Once again it's Alan Priddy to the rescue, who dashes over and beats the flames into submission with a pillow. Apparently the gas cartridge hadn't quite seated properly when it was attached to the stove, causing the leak.

So the fire is out, and we're no longer in danger of being blown out of the water. But we are in danger of going without our evening cuppa. Somehow in all of the confusion, the stove's pan support has ended up going over the side.

We're sure we can get a replacement knocked up in India, where absolutely anything is possible with bits of iron and a welding torch. In the meantime, Alan and Steve come up with a solution - a bit Heath Robinson perhaps, but workable none the less - two flat spanners.

Clive Tully

Copyright Clive Tully ©2002
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