I couldn’t do much on day four. The water was choppy and we were pounding into the wind most of the day. Concentrating on anything like reading or writing made me feel nauseous. When not on watch or preparing food, I just slept.
Today the choppy water has died down and so has my nausea and so has the wind. Fortunately what little wind we have is coming from a direction that we can sail in. At the moment we are plodding along at about 3 knots. None of us mind. It’s so peaceful to have the generator and motors off. We’ve been motoring all night and engines needed cooling down.
Up to now, my favourite time of the day is dawn, when my morning shift starts. I generally feel refreshed and rested after a good night sleep. Sitting up at the helm, with my mandatory cup of coffee, I watch the sun rise and the vast expanse of water. The gentle swaying and rocking motion of the boat. The effects of the changing light and wind on the waves. The grandness and immensity of the ocean. My mind enters a meditative state. I feel peaceful, tranquil and content. There is something very therapeutic about water. The more that there is around you, the more effective it seems. Even rough seas has a absorbing fascination for me.
For the past two days we’ve had three frigate birds hanging around our two pulpits at the front of the boat. They’ve become quite tame and we can get near them without frightening them away. They’re also quite entertaining. Always fighting for the same pulpit when the other one is quite free. Sometimes missing their landings on the pulpit bar, toppling, flapping ungainly and trying to regain their balance. They’re also leaving us a lovely mess on the deck to clean up.
Not much has happened really. No incidents. No excitements. Nooooooo wind!
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