22 October 2015

(watch 00.00 - 04.00) GPS Coordinates: S1248.786 / E16601.971
Average Wind Speed: 13.9 knots
Day 3 at sea!

Did a night watch last night, 2 am till 4 am, I drove for the first 2 hours and then was support for Eric. I had a nap before hand, what wind we had must have died while I was asleep because we were motoring along with just the mainsail up when I got onto deck at midnight.

We were making steady progress past the Vanuatu's most northern group, the Torres islands, which we passed on our starboard side at a distance of about six miles. Our heading was 305 degrees, north west-ish. The moon and stars had hidden themselves in clouds and the night was dark. I walked around a little up to the front of boat, I didn't stay long. An irrational fear that something would swoop down onto the foredeck and kill us all wouldn't leave me alone. In my mind we'd all have fight off a horde of Doctor Who monster death angel things. Off in the distance an occasional flash of lightning made me certain they were about to land on our boat and turn is all to stone and through us over board.

The only visible lights were from the our own boat, the main cabin, the green starboard light and red port light shone out bright. Beyond that I couldn't see anything. You've just got to stick to your bearing and occasionally check the computer chart GPS system to find out exactly where you are.

Such was the lack of wind that we took the mainsail down at about 3.15 am. Our bearing changed to 280 degrees and a course was set towards the Solomon Islands. I was relieved when Menno showed up to begin his watch, tiredness has been eating away at my eyes for a few hours and I was ready to sleep.

It was cloudy all day, the sun hid in the clouds. Wind conditions had picked up again and we made progress for a while. My day watch began at 14.00 and was nothing special. I reflected back that growing up as child I'd been petrified of water, it took a long time to persuade me to jump into a swimming pool. If you'd told me then that while in my twenties I'd be sailing around the Pacific Ocean, scuba diving etc, I'd have told you where to go...

Until about 17.50 the highlight of the day had been seeing a bird...not entirely sure what type it was, Zoe said something about an albatross. Life at sea can be rather repetitive and if you let it, boring as hell. Everything looks the same, once you're out of shot of land you could be anywhere on any ocean. At ten to six one of our fishing lines began to run out, something had taken the lure on the end of the line! Timo slowly began to pull the line in, occasionally frantic splashes greeted us as the mahi-mahi tried to get free. This super streamline fish lives in the open ocean eating whatever it can find, other fish, squid and fishing hooks apparently.

Sashimi was added to the dinner menu, it was so good, melt-in-your mouth protein. It was especially good after a few days of purely vegetarians dishes which I'm not used to. A good ending to another day at sea...

I went for a nap after doing some washing up in preparation for being up midnight for my watch.