Saturday, July 6
Dena’s 1600-1700 watch
The weather’s settled a little or, more likely, getting a little distance from the rapids of the continental shelf at a cape has improved the character of the waves.
On my last watch, I finished Iain M Banks’ Look to Windward. The idea of remorse and despair so deep that oblivion is preferable got me crying a bit there at the end, so I put my book down and pulled my sunglasses off. As I rubbed the tears into the skin of my cheeks, I looked across the water and a flock of flying fish hopscotched past going the other way. Life and death.
After the heart-wringing display, I was left thinking, hoping quite fervently, that I never do anything that I feel such remorse about. And then backed up another step and hoped that I never hide from remorse if it’s warranted.
Deep thoughts on the deep ocean.
Dena’s 2000-2100 watch
I just shook the second reef. The apparent wind has become pretty light, especially when the waves push us faster. If the 4 day old weather forecast is correct, this will work until Tuesday.
A nice flattening of the wind waves doesn’t change the fact that we have two different swell directions. One is nearly perfectly astern and we ride those nicely. The other is about 60° west of that, so it hits us pretty broad on the starboard quarter. The times when they multiply each other’s forces…yikes.
Basically, we’re at sea. We shouldn’t set random objects on flat surfaces and expect them to stay put. On the other hand, nestling a couple of eggs I’m about to scramble for fried rice in a towel and then having them leap across the counter because of a big combo wave? Yeah, frustrating.
In the case of this true story from about an hour ago, I grabbed them almost perfectly in time. One cracked but didn’t spill and I was going to cook it anyway. No harm, no foul, just another reminder that we’re in constant motion.
Sunday, July 7
Dena’s 2400-0300 watch
With only a few ships showing up on the chartplotter, tonight is a breeze. Good steady wind, not stressing about being hit, and stars in the sky.
I’m lying on my back to watch for falling stars and for comfort in the continuing swells. My phone, useless for connecting to the world, is still a jukebox (and camera and notepad and alarm clock). I’m listening to music both to stay awake and because I so rarely do nothing but listen. This art deserves to be focused on, at least now and then, rather than used as background.
Dena’s 0600-0900 watch
I came abovedeck and decided to let myself nap. No one within 20M and those two boats running parallel. Twenty-minute alarm on and…go!
I kept that up, checking for boats visually and electronically each time, until about 0720. The sky-color change that enchanted me last time I had this watch happened without my attention until then.
Of course, some sunrises are easier to ignore than others.
Beluga Greyfinger had such a good first day but has been hiding and barely eating or drinking since things got rough. Last night, that seemed to break. I added some more wet food to his bowl and he went right after it.
Dena’s 1100-1200 watch
I suddenly remembered that we didn’t have a stupid ICE outboard in the way anymore and one of my favorite vantage points was available again. There’s a bit of cockpit coaming at the stern that’s a nice place to sit and survey the action.
Noon position: N 22° 57.523’ W 018° 25.599’
Distance noon to noon: 106.3 NM
Average speed: 4.4 kn
Trip distance covered: 424.6 NM
Distance to destination: 566.9 NM
