I was told there would be booze and a pool, it seems a little different.

I read John's comments with perhaps a slightly different view.
After an hour or so of breaking bits, flapping sails, tape, and mangled ropes we hoisted JD to the top of the mast. Reasonable fun for us, less so for him. Whilst the mast is only 18m up it is 3,000 metres down! We are in a pitching sea and John is at the top throwing me a skinny little rope called a rat or mouse, or something, which he claims could change our lives.
This has taken on more importance now that we have lost our furling system and have to take the arcing sail up and down to change speed (previously our man servant just rolled it in). Anyway if I can't catch it in the breeze he will have to come down again and he says someone will have to go up again, I look at Tyler (age 4) he looks at me, we agree on Jesse (age 9). Jesse disappears. John finds all this VERY amusing from the top of the mast and gives us encouragement, in French, rope caught, all good, John ready to come down.

Then a new low, I turnaround to find John in monkey boy harness only, having a shower on the rear transom, photos follow, think Manpower on the Atlantic.

Anyway another test passed and our cruise director assures me nothing like this will happen again.

All good, all here, all in Las Palmas soon, before I return in my now upgraded flight but sorry to leave the good ship NIKA and her marvellous Crew.

Ok back to the washing up.

Dubarry Dean