day 114 rough toothed gang
Naomi here, A fickle winds night watch last night with plenty of slatting sails, but I got to watch a half moon setting over the ocean, so yellow it was practically green. Amazing to be finally doing a downwind passage, very peaceful and calm when we get consistent winds, although we are still figuring out which sail configurations and techniques of setting that Wendy the wind vane will put up with. Plus when we motored for a bit today we found that the engine sort of has a new rattle to it at anything over 1800 revs, I dove on the prop and Jamie checked the bolts on the shaft and everything looks good. Fortunately it sounds more or less normal at 1700 revs so I have hope we can get by on that. Not too exhausted from lack of sleep today fortunately altho not yet in the rhythm of passage just yet. Today we had a big pancake up for brekkie and Jamie made a fantastic soy sesame baked chicken with a veggie rice salad for dinner.
Kia ora, Megan here! So far so good on passage - I am loving my new bedroom in the vberth and I have really done a lot with the place. My bunkmates are the dinghy seats and dive bag, plus a few other odds and ends. I have propped up the mattress between us, and along with the duvet I’ve commandeered as a body pillow, my padded cell is coming along quite nicely. My spirits are high. I have taken screenshots of various exercises to try on passage but so far have opted to allow fits of spontaneous squats to come upon me and this suits me fine. As our captain says, passage is more about sustainability than utmost efficiency. I also cracked open the Wendy’s manual to try to troubleshoot her… it may require a dedicated afternoon rather than a bit of prodding that ceases as soon as things are working well enough.
Today’s highlights: 1. Miriam and I sussing out re-rigging the defender (actually called the preventer, which is essentially a rope that prevents the main sail from accidentally braining someone by swinging over) all by ourselves thank you very much. Soon we won’t need a captain and we can finally be free. 2. The most vibrant orange sunset I’ve ever seen - sherbet pastels , then streaks of iron hot neon, and finally a vast, saturated … orange. I can’t think of the comparison for it. The origin of orange. 3. A pod of dolphins gathered to race around our bow. The transition between their white bellies and gray backs was dappled, with streaks of white as if the perfect spots had been smeared under water. We think they were rough toothed dolphins. They ran circles around us. Ka kiteee.
Miriam chiming in… My body is beginning to find the rhythm of passage. Liminal time, this journey across the open ocean, measured in meals and naps and watches, in sunsets and pelagic birds circling, in moments of connection and moments of introspection. Coming together in wonder and laughter: all of us racing to the bow (thank you Wendy for holding the course) to be with the dolphins as they surfed the bow wave and enchanted us with their sleek grace and playful cavorting, surfacing right below us as we exclaimed our delight and spoke our gratitude. Such long slender noses and beautiful white dappled sides, blowhole exhalations moist “phoofs” so close as to almost feel their breath.
This downwind sailing has been so comfortable and gentle that despite some sail flapping moments of gust and swell and wind change I feel well able to sleep deeply, rocked by the ocean’s rhythm. We are taking 3 hour watches twice a day and I am on the 9-12 for the next few days which feels positively luxurious…I stay up a little late, have some lovely quiet sailing by moonlight, sleep a solid 8 while everyone who’s not on watch is also sleeping, and rise for another go in the morning. Despite that naps seem imperative as well, like my nervous system and adrenals are in some sort of deep replenishment mode made possible by this unique environment. I feel so grateful to be here. And speaking of naps, time for another little one before next watch. Sweet dreams! May you all get the deep rest you need to thrive.