Thursday, November 14
We’re kicking ass! Three days, 320 nautical miles!
We started strong again and are slowly bringing the average down. It’s a comfortable speed, so it’s hard to complain. We’d have another knot if the wind was just a little further off our tail so we could fly the yankee but c’est la vie.
Speaking of French…I don’t speak it at all. Without claiming I was good at it, at least I could work through some Portuguese and Spanish over the last year. In Martinique, I’ll be completely at the mercy of the translate app and people who know English. Similar to India except for all the education in English the kids get. I’m not overly intimidated, but I do wish I had more of a facility with languages.
Friday, November 15
James reminded me of the name for the kind of cloud that’s been obscuring the moon to greater and lesser amounts all night.
Stratocirrus.
Makes for a moody full moon viewing. It’s arranged in big patches but there’s enough clear sky to catch sight of the anemic stars. Orion was in the open when I took over at 0300 but is now hidden.
I’m listening to music and adding songs to a new playlist: nightmusic. The way I listen while underway reminds me of nighttime road trips. Nothing else to do but engage with the songs.
My other new night watch duty is stretching. It isn’t easy on a surface that moves so dramatically. Sometimes I have to wait out a series of swells, holding on to the winch on the cockpit coaming in lieu of bracing with my legs.
Speaking of which, that’s why my muscles get so tight. The way I’m using my body doesn’t have a lot in common with strength training. Unless I’m sitting up (like now) and swaying my torso forward and back (port and starboard), I’m leaning on a coaming or reclining. For either situation, I keep a foot placed to push when a wave tries to send me crashing to the other side of the cockpit. Like, 10-20 times per minute. It’s a weird kind of tiring.
Noon position: N 15° 13.566’ W 031° 54.439’
Distance noon to noon: 107.6 NM
Average speed: 4.49 kn
Trip distance covered: 427.9 NM
Distance to destination: 1687 NM
