Big Blue Boulder Garden

October 7, 2018

Day 3

Noon Position: 30 49N 127 50W

Course/Speed: SW 7 – 8

Wind: NNE 19 – 25

Sea: NW 10

Sky: Partly Cloudy

Bar: 1021, falling

Cabin Degrees Fahrenheit: 73

Water Degrees Fahrenheit: 67

Percent Relative Humidity: 66

Sail: #2 genoa, three reefs; Main, 2 reefs; wind starboard quarter

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good: 172 (Yes, second day of better than 7 knots per hour for a 24-hour run.)

Avg. Miles/Day: 163

Miles since departure: 490

Even though no ships woke me and no sail changes were required, I slept fitfully.

Overnight winds veered into the N, wandering between NxE and NNE with velocities between 25 and 30 knots. I let Mo run off more toward the west with wind on starboard quarter, and now that she took the mature NW swell on the beam, the movement below was less than somnific. There was only one position–supine, legs splayed–that kept me from being tossed like a sack of potatoes. I began sleeping right after dinner and was thoroughly done with trying by 3am.

At last, a bright, sunny morning. One flying fish on deck. (Is it me, or does it seem we’re too far north for this species as yet?) One roaming immature boobie searching Mo’s wake. One large storm petrel. Beyond that the ocean is an empty plain, a vast blue boulder garden through which one small, gray boat shoulders her way with confidence and some speed.

These are fast days, but I fear by mid week we will experience an ocean of a different sort; that is, calm. So far the strategy of rounding hurricane Sergio to the west appears to be working. Confirmation will come tomorrow or the day after when he follows forecast and heads for Baja. After that, from here to the line looks a big blank.

Breakfast this week is store-bought bread, jam and peanut butter; lunch is bread and cheese; dinner, the usual one-pot wonder. Last night, spaghetti with canned ground beef, canned tomato sause…and cabbage, the only fresh vegetable I brought. When on passage, I manage fresh veg terribly, so decided to skip it this time, except for five large cabbages that are being added to everything hot. In five days I’ve only used one half of one large head.

Am still searching for my at-sea rhythm. The break between the last voyage and this was, I am realizing belatedly, precious short. I wasn’t quite done stretching my legs.