Ive got a feeling
Telefonica Black
Lance Shepherd
Thu 30 Jan 2020 06:43
|
13:15.47N 048:50.96W
There is a feeling I get when i am in the middle of an
ocean, its hard to describe but i think you could call it contentment.
The mobile no longer has signal, you haven't seen
another ship in 4 days, you are making your own water and the routine of the watch system means your know what time it
is, however i couldn't tell you the day of the week or the date.
Life just slows down, becomes quite simple and I love
it.
We have been witness to some spectacular sunsets,
sometimes even accompanied by dolphins and we have seen shoals of
flying fish at sunrise. But by far my fav time is the night
watch. The night sky with no natural light spoiling it is reason enough to go
offshore sailing
The sailing itself has been fantastic, the days
are warm and the wind is steady. All my other ocean crossing have been part of a
race so this time it feels extremely different. First of all we don't need to
push the boat to the max, we have time to coach the team and if we are a few
degrees off course, then its not the end of the world. I also sleep better when
the boat isn't right on the edge!
and secondly we are alone! No RORC/Middle sea/Fastnet
rock/race office to check in with, no scheds to see how the other boats are
doing, no one to radio and have a chat with!
Before the crossing i thought it would feel strange not
to be racing and part of an organized crossing but actually its quite
liberating. Just us, this wonderful boat and the sea.
This boat was build to cross oceans, she surfs down the
waves and eats miles. (as i write this i can hear the whooping from the helm
getting a 20knot surf)
As she was build for racing, i was worried about the
comfort factor after a week or two at sea, but her deck is so wide, the weather
so warm everyone just chills on deck on their off watch or heads down below for
a sleep.
There may not be a ensuite cabin for a shower, but we
have a solar bag with build in sprinkler that does the trick.
The galley may consist of 1 kettle and a small fridge,
but we have managed to have fresh lunches every day to go with the freeze dried
for dinner.
and yes the "saloon" is the deck........but you dont
come on this boat for the comfort factor, you come on her to sail and we have
been doing plenty of that.
Now we are in the final 3rd of the journey, we have
passed the point of "the middle of the sea", thoughts
naturally turn to land food, beer, wine, cold drinks, rum! I always find
myself in the strange position that as much as i am looking forward to all of
the above and having a shower by my myself! I also want to keep on going, i
like to scroll further along on the nav computer, past our route end and see
where is next to go......through the panama canal.......the pacific
islands......now there is a dream.
Claire
|