Position: 03. 32N, 152. 06 W @noon
Week 5 Last night I was drawn out of my deep sleep by a change in our motion. We had slowed considerably from the time I’d left to find that elusive sleep. The encounters on deck in the middle of the night are a little surreal. I find my headlight which I’ve placed on the top step of the companion way. I struggle a little to get it on right side up, then slowly and purposefully climb the companion way which is like climbing a ladder tilted about 30 degrees and moving as if I’m in the back of a pickup driving down a bumpy road, at speed. My harness is on, and the tether waits, ready for action. I clip it on. Then a quick visual of the scene on deck and off I go. I roll out the jib first and set it. Then I clip on to the starboard side of the mast and take one reef out. Back to the cockpit. Check the masthead wind indicator which is conveniently lit from below by the running lights.
I turn on the remote GPS in the cockpit and check our heading and if all is well, I’m back down the wobbly ladder. This is done under the light from my headlight in the cool of the night. Tonight I stop at the nav station and tap out an email to ML hoping that when I connect with the land station I will receive a newsy letter from her. I send off my message and tonight I’m rewarded with a download of 1800 bytes! I read it several times over and digest every word. It leaves me in a pleasant frame of mind. I turn the nav light off and dim the GPS.
In the darkness of the cabin I stand up holding on to the grab rail and look out the port light. I feel like David Bowie’s Major Tom. There in front of me on the horizon is a bright horseshoe sliver of a moon rising out of the ocean and into a dark sky full of stars.A lucky encounter not lost on me. Am I in outer space on the good ship West Wind II? I drift off into sweet slumber.
inside the space ship
Course: 190 Speed: 5 knots Wind: E 10 Waves: 1.5 east Temp: 30 c Cloud: 20 % Bar: 1010 Miles last 24 hr: 120nm
Your late night encounter with the crescent moon reminded me when we were in Fiji.
I woke up in the middle of the night and got up from my cot in the big buri and walked to the beach (10 ft. away) and witnessed the waves lapping the shore and breaking with a green glow of phosphorous from tiny pieces of sea vegetation. For a Canadian in Fiji in November, I could have been on another planet. It was that inspiring and otherworldly. I envy you having these moments almost daily.