I woke Brian at 3am to swap watches. I hate waking people up, because I know they don’t like it…I sure don’t. About 30 minutes into an attempt at sleep, with violent waves smashing the boat, Brian summoned me. Deck work. He had no problems waking me. Duty calls. No problem. I hopped up to reef the main and help jibe the jib. We are at 131 ½ ° W. Time to turn left! Now our course is 180°, due south. I crawled back to bed, damp and salty, to try and Z. I woke up at 7am to tag off with the Captain again.
Something different is in this equatorial air. Clouds hamper horizon views but they are not static. A variety of vapor shapes drop sheets of rain and we can see the course of these storms, or squalls in sailing terms, if they wreck havoc upon us.
A spattering of rain dusted the deck, a welcome wash of fresh water. Rain in sunny climates of course translates to rainbows, arc-en-ceil. Completing its reach, a full arching glowing message of change. Some cultures see Roy G Biv as omens of bad news, perhaps understandable if it precedes a picnic-dampening rain. There was a faint double rainbow and I appreciated my friend in Yosemite who was blown to the ground in the stunning beauty of dual light play.
Inside the cabin I enjoyed a slow Sunday morning when suddenly sails went flapping, our course pointed straight for the wind, clocks spun in reverse… I wedged my Mac in between cushions and bolted out to the cockpit to steer us away, and Brian woke with a start and literally flew to the bow of his Kayak to take down the genoa at record speed. Quick action in a sudden, stormy situation averted disaster. Even in pjs…
On edge and on lookout for more squalls, we cooked and caffeinated with a lean to starboard, a deviation from our flow up until last night. Now instead of the boat’s roll hurling us away from the galley and across the cabin to hit a table or bench, 8 feet away, we are pulled by gravity into sink and stove, oven and cupboard…new hazards to adapt to.
With the working jib flying, we assessed ripped seams on the foot of the one we had replaced this morning. I began some seamstressing with a comfortable seat against the dingy, toes propped on the side of the deck and riding the brunt of the waves with the boat. Occasionally a watery assault assailed the port side and I had a salty shower reign down on me. Lively action for a usually mundane task. The rest of the evening we spent indoors and dry, reading, cooking, chessing, chilling…all at a 10-15° angled tilt.
@ 6pm
5° 41’ N
132° 14’ W
Travelled 115 nm
~5-7 knots / hour
Breakfast: Cher’s apple fritters with quinoa
Lunch: Quinoa, cuke and cheese wraps
Dinner: Brians heart warming potato soup
Green in the Blue 