'Lo Everyone - We only have time to transmit in intervals, some very short. No one seems to be monitoring Channel 16, which is the one Gerry uses, so you might not hear from us as we sail toward the green land. (and I might not receive your messages - our radio is as tiny as our yacht.) This morning, we were almost run over by a huge ship; he opened a can of peaches for breakfast in the "cabin" and turned on the light - and that's the ONLY notice the ship had that we were there!! The African Comet missed the Yankee Girl by inches. When Gerry got them on the radio, they said we hadn't appeared on their radar., but they'd seen our light - which was only on for a brief time. Whew. The day was glorious. We were bobbing happily along, when there appeared a pod of dolphins racing along side. They played around the boat[s], and one mother even brought her baby up by the side to give us the once-over. Gerry's seat hangs over the side a bit, and we're afraid we might look like a walrus or seal to a hungry shark; thusfar, the only sealife finding us interesting would be the dolphins, and some migrating birds who used us as a rest-spot in their trek southward. This is how Gerry described our evening: "Afterward I sat in the hatch for a long time, gazing at the sea. The Atlantic was more beautiful tonight than I had ever seen her. Phosphorescence spread out behind us like a trail of sequined milk, with individual flecks mirroring the stars overhead. It was so bright that it illuminated Yankee Girl's hull. It almost seemed as if the world had been turned upside-down and we were sailing the heavens like a comet, leaving a shimmering tail behind us. Even my finny mascots left glowing streaks in teh water as they darted in and out beneath us. I took special delight in watching the jellyfish bobbing in our wake like countless luminous parachutes." Hope you all had a delightful day, and are looking forward to Christmas and Cornwall, Julia M. West Briton Transcriptions, 1836-1856 at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wbritonad St. Austell Area History and Genealogy at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~staustell

Digging away by the flickering light of tallow candles .... I am passing through scorching temperatures of 39.9C What my forefathers would think of me being more familiar with continental measures I am not sure ! One of these years I must set out in one of the contraptions that the rest of you swear by - I am sure it would be easier than dig-dig-dig ! (And I have a thirst ... need some Doom Bar or Tribute to keep my muscles well lubricated)