Groundhog days
Fleck
Sun 7 Apr 2013 11:53
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Sunday April 7th, noon
Position 16:30S 3:58W
Within a couple of days now of the Anchorage on St
Helena, and facing the recurring dilema of whether it will be OK to try a
night time approach: there is not much moon left, and it has been cloudy most
evenings. We will see. Very gentle peaceful sailing, and frankly not a whole lot
to do. One days follow another, and they are very similar. Important not to get
too lazy though, on the evening 'ward round' yesterday I discovered that a
bearing on the self steering was about to drop out into the Ocean: have banged
this back in with a hammer, and maybe I can fix it properly when we get
anchored. Had a happy couple of hours at 01.00 last night trying to trace a new
squeak that had woken me up. Fascinating isn't it how after a few days you sleep
quite well on a boat, adjusting to both the constant movement and the noise. And
then the slightest change in circumstances triggers you into wakefulness. Well
the squeak wasn't coming from up the mast, and maybe it is from some of the gear
stowed on deck. Anyway the boat stopped rolling and the noise went away, and I
returned to my bunk.
My history of moral philosphy has reached Stuart
Mill and Nietzsche. Mill's virtuous 'higher faculties' prick me somewhat: I
should be applying myself wholeheartedly to AC Grayling, but I have to confess
that I have an Ian Rankin 'Rebus' novel on the go at the same time, and I manage
three chapters of Inspector Jonh Rebus to each of Grayling's little essays.
Nietzsche gives me a little headache too, Ubermensche I am not! Great though
that Grayling chooses Darwin rather than Einstein or Newton
as his prime scientific mover and shaker of the modern era, and we've
been to the Galapagos Islands, and stood under his statue!
Should have enough fresh bread to get me to St
Helena, where there is reported to be a great bakery. I shall be there for some
time, waiting for 'JJ Moon', and my mast parts. But I am looking forward to
this: walking on the island, my paintbox and keyboard beckon, and if I get bored
then there are always the deck leaks to think about!
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