Day 5
When I joined David for sunrise at the end of his watch, he found a visitor on deck. Did you know Exocet missiles are named after these little Exocoetidae or flying fish?
Given that yesterday all we saw were tankers and container ships (including one that clearly thought Leona was so beautiful he altered course to avoid a collision), it is wonderful to remember there is a world below us.
Meanwhile, the wind on our quarter and gusting to 35 knots makes for some other exciting moments. We are still averaging 8-9 knots with reefs in both main and jib sails and have covered yet another 200 miles, staying ahead of the storm.
A sailing tidbit:
the wind on your quarter means the wind is hitting you somewhere between the beam and the stern.
the beam is the middle of the long side of the boat.
the stern is the back of the boat.
The wind on our quarter means we are riding the waves at funky angles. When combined with one of those delightful gusts, Leona automatically compensates by”coming up” or turning her bow toward the wind, until the helmsman (or auto pilot) returns her to her correct heading. That’s when things start to fly, as in cups of tea, loaves of bread, or ambulatory crew members. Just making peanut-butter toast is a feat. The motion is really a 3-dimensional, 360º situation: life on a slack line.
Recently we met Aero, a wonderful Hawaiian chef and sailor. She regaled us with stories of her time on the Hōkūle’a, the 62’ Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe, sailing around the Marquesas and Tuamotus. She told us about a legendary sailor who would arrive at the boat and promptly lock himself in his cabin for three days, succumbing to violent sea-sickness. He then would emerge, refreshed, renewed and ready to work his nautical magic. His explanation? Those three days of purging were the transition period as he shed his land-self and inhabited his sea-self.
I think I get it. Georgie and I donned scopolamine patches on Thursday morning. They did a wonderful job of suppressing any collywobbles, but left a host of side effects in their stead: dry mouth, a bitter taste, and a very spacey head. After three days the patch stopped working, but neither of us wanted to renew.
We want to inhabit our sea-selves.
Peanut-butter toast and tea for breakfast