Day Ninteen – Torn mainsail
It was a simple mistake. It was also a stupid one. One that could seriously affect the success or failure of this mission, making my isolation feel all the more acute. The morning was cold and wet with thick, black pockets of cloud in all directions. It was obvious there would be many squalls today, […]
Day Eighteen – Land Ahoy!
I’ve been able to have a restful day getting in a couple of naps to rebuild my strength from the previous few days. The islands of Yap, Palau and various atolls are all with sailing distance so pose somewhat of a navigational challenge for the day. These islands mark the halfway point in this open […]
Day Seventeen – Rough seas
Today was a wet weather jacket, shoes, PFD and glove day. That is to say, hard, wet sailing. The wind was 12knts at dawn and the sea state fairly flat, so we made good progress early on, moving along at an average of 6.5knts. However, by late morning the wind had increased, and we’d already […]
Day Sixteen – Acceptance
There were no major mishaps today, at least while the sun was up. Just what I needed. A solid day’s sail on or above the rhumbline, so every mile I sailed got me a mile closer to Pioneer Channel. While we sailed hard on the wind, seeing my bearing remain relatively steady throughout the day […]
Day Fifteen – Bouy oh Bouy!
You know those days when nothing seems to go right? When you’re frustrating and can’t seem to make any progress? When if something is going to go wrong it will? Well… today was one of those days. It reached its nadir just before midnight when I had perhaps the most terrifying experience of the trip […]
Day Fourteen – Party Time
The first rule of sailing (unlike fight club) is safety. Alcohol is seriously frowned upon at sea for all the right reasons. I simply can’t imagine how terrifying it would be to be dealing with a squall related gear failure with anything but a clear head. With this in mind, I didn’t bring any beer […]
Day Thirteen – Farewell Droopy Drawers (and my youth)
I used to be able to read for hours without interruption when I was younger, getting lost in the world my mind was now a part of, often staying up all night if the story had me in its grasp. Lord of the Rings had this affect on me as a teenager, as did James […]
Day Twelve – Shifty shifts
It’s just after sunrise, and while the wind had died down from the previous night’s blow, the seas were still very messy and Ahyoka was getting thrown around the place. At least I could sail into the wind, gain height and head due east, I tell myself. Tired from the squalls, I really need to […]
Day Eleven – The Squall All-nighter
I’m wedged in my bunk. One foot against the wall, pushing my back into the cushion so my position is secure while the boat is thrown 3m through the vertical plane down each wave every 5 seconds and yaws 2-3m on the horizontal plane. Her approach to the oncoming swell is approximately 45 degrees but […]
Day Ten – Time
After a night of fitful sleep, I dozily put my head through the companionway to view the day’s conditions. The first thing I saw when I did was a rainbow directly off Ahyoka’s stern. Two in fact. It was of those rare double rainbows. The second one there just to make sure you’ve seen the […]