WATCH #28
Date: 08/23/2016 Time: 1900 – 2200
Latitude: 11°08.741 N Longitude: 45°05.351 W
COG: 305° (Martinique) SOG: 5.6 knots BTW: 270°
Wind: 4, East TWS: 13.7 knots Trip: 2,440 nm
Sails: Full Mainsail, Full Gib, No motor
NOTES
Dinner was rice, chicken, sausage, leeks and potatoes seasoned nicely. In between watches I read the book “The Little Prince” and when I finished I faithfully returned to Sherlock Holmes, playing the guitar and sleeping. Now on this watch I fight the fickle wind from the east, and although it is high maintenance we are happy for it. We are an exciting 980 nautical miles from Grenada so that is a notable yet unreliable milestone because those calculations assume a straight course…HA!…a straight course…oh calculations, you crack me up.
I was involved in a lapse of judgement that I had to apologize for during my watch, somehow drama seems inescapable no matter where you go and because of the all the tension that already exist I very much try not to add to it. Having to apologize to someone that doesn’t seems to care about how he treats you is not one of my favorite things to do. These people need to start popping some “drama”mine pills.
I we had a few alarms go off yesterday and so I followed up with Captain Bear about them to see what the conclusion was, “I couldn’t find anything wrong, so I disconnected all the alarms for the port engine”….This made me think ‘Huh!”
WATCH #29
Date: 08/242016 Time: 0400 – 0700
Latitude: 11°08.796 N Longitude: 46°06.440 W
COG: 295° (Rio Orinoco) SOG: 5.4 knots BTW: 275°
Wind: 4, East TWS: 13.5 knots Trip: 2,503 nm
Sail plan: Full Mainsail, Full Gib, starboard motor 1,600 rpm
NOTES
Last night was by far the worst sleep I’ve had since starting this leg of the trip, waking up every twenty minutes trying to make sure that I wasn’t late for my shift, which cause me to be late for my shift again. I have three alarms!!!
In other news, the Captain sent word for further weather info to a mate of his and it came back saying that we have a tropical storm just north of us, it has a name and everything. He has decided that we will not be visiting the newborn baby of nature, rather we will send a nice card and attempt to claw our way south with our tail between our legs on any wind that will allow it. It’s 05:44 am, I’m on my second cup of coffee.
06:29 am By the grace of God the wind favors the direction to safer waters. The sun is rising and I will have some muesli.
06:58 am The Scotsman came up ready for his watch, harness on…check, life jacket?…check, suspicious white stuff on his face?…check. Three hours early?…check. “Well, good night” he said as he realized his mistake. The polish girl also overslept for her watch and needed a morning shake to get up…now I’m drinking green tea.
11:05am Eight dolphins started swimming at the bow of the boat letting us know that they are faster than we are. I only noticed tis because I noticed the Scotsman at the bow and I had never seen him up there before. You see, he has this fear of water so he doesn’t like the edge of the boat.
WATCH #30
Date: 08/24/2016 Time:1300 – 1600
Latitude: 11°04.557 N Longitude: 46°50.566 W
COG: 275° (Guyana) SOG: 5.3 knots BTW: 274°
Wind: 3, East TWS. 8.6 knots Trip: 2,550.13 nm
Sail Plan: No Mainsail, Full Gib, Port Engine 1,800 RPMs
NOTES
Lunch was a beef and three bean stew with two tortillas and some soup, I did not try the soup. Motoring along because there isn’t enough wind to make any real progress sailing with such little wind force. I just saw some flying fish.
13:55 I’m stuck on snake level 14 of word brain and have been for 24 hours, like really stuck, and if you are without internet than you are without hints.
14:05 I started singing Mary Poppins “It’s a jolly holiday with Mary” with incredible lyrical accuracy. It’s soooooo hot out here!
14:54 Snake level complete! The word that was “tripping” me up was shoelace. Can you say irony? Sound it out….that’s good.
My pen is leaking onto my paper because it is sooo hot!
WATCH #31
Date: 08/24/2016 Time:2200-0100
Latitude: 10°54.271 N Longitude: 47°40.167 W
COG: 278° (Rio Orinoco) SOG: 5.9 knots BTW: 273°
Wind: 3, East TWS: 10.9 knots Trip: 2,598.22 nm
Sail Plan: No Mainsail, Full Gib, Port Engine
NOTES
Low wind, there was a surge that made me pull out the headsail but then it settled again…maybe it will come back. Dinner was a tomato sauce pasta with beef and some vegetables. The Scotsman has aggravated an old back injury which is impeding his mobility and is of course nothing to take lightly, especially out here. The sea state is calm and relaxing and although I can’t see through the darkness, I bet there are some flying fish out there.
You have to be ok with being dirty and sweaty, then you add two cups of sunscreen and mix until they are one. Turn the weather up to 95° and let cook for one hour. After one hour you will notice a beautiful glazing on the applied surface that will effectively protect you from sunburn and any type of physical contact, if available.
By leaning my cell phone against my nalgene bottle and turning on the flashlight app, I have created a lantern type effect.
I should wash these shorts
00:30 I am so tired that I keep falling asleep…(I wrote something else but I can’t read my own sleepy writing…Whoops!)
WATCH #32
Date: 08/25/2016 Time: 0700 – 1000
Latitude: 10°43.429 N Longitude: 48°24.594 W
COG: 269° (Wani River, Venezuela) SOG: 4.5 knots BTW: 273°
Wind: 2, East TWS: 5.5 knots Trip: 2,643.54 nm
Sail Plan: No Sails, Starboard Engine
NOTES
No wind to speak of this morning but I was on time for my shift this morning at seven after barely being able to hold my eyes open during my last watch. I wouldn’t remember my head dropping, just the panic when I realized that I was asleep. My mind would be tricking me that I was still awake like an evil manifestation on my shoulder telling me that I was alert and held my gaze at the horizon ready to act if something were to arrive. The truth was that my chin was resting on my chest and there was probably drool involved and if someone had come up I would have been utterly shamed. It didn’t help that the wind and waves were absent and so my body did a quick risk assessment and checked out like a grandpa at a family reunion…Pop Pop is out!
07:58am The captain came up complaining about how much milk has been drunk over the last four days. “Well, when we it’s !@#$%^& gone, it’s gone, just like everything else” He said all of this while smiling, but with an angry tone.
08:20am The always present, always faithful flying fish. I had a bowl of cereal, with milk, and a cup of coffee
08:57am I was joined by a bird that decided that our boat was a good place to do some fishing and so he, or she, with awe inspiring grace and accuracy rained down its feathery bullet like body of death onto its unsuspecting prey…It was beautiful.
WATCH #33
Date: 08/25/2016 Time:1600 – 1900
Latitude: 10°41.2016 N Longitude: 49°08.377 W
COG: 283° (Punta Baja) SOG:5.2 knots BTW: 286°
Wind:1, South East TWS: 3.7 knots Trip: 2,689.89 nm
Sail Plan: No Sails, Starboard Engine 2,000 RPMs
NOTES
The day started windless and hot, my watch was over and I decided to play word brain in the confines of my cabin where the sunlight could not penetrate. A few moments later dark clouds rushed over and emptied its rain on our overheated vessel and the peasants rejoiced, we were also informed that is was (please take a) shower day, and the peasants rejoiced again. There seems to be several storm fronts passing through today refilling the ocean and I have to say I very much enjoying watch a rain storm approach from several miles away, to see it raining up to a very noticeable line as it moves towards you…it’s cool…I LIKE IT!
The rain has stopped and everyone is showered, reading, on watch or otherwise engaged. Dinner is slowly being prepared for two hours from now and I just saw a flying fish. Other sightings include a large plastic barrel, and what looked like a sleeping dolphin, he swam away as we got closer probably embarrassed.
Lunch was leftover pasta, slices of ham, bread and some squid in a can that was purchased in the markets of Greece months ago. We ran the water maker and have started drinking the bottled water that is stored in the forward port locker. I’m drinking green tea and wearing a fresh shirt. I can hear the bear captain opening up secret snacks, he’s not even trying to hide it anymore.
I only write when I travel 
Thanks for sharing! Love you and always praying for you! 🙂