07 53S 115 42N
Libertyatsea10
Sun 4 Jul 2010 16:54
A busy night
35 39 knots wind
our watches are all mixed up as Johan and I tend to be the hand steerers and the seas are so huge we need to hand steer a lot
I sit at the helmsman seat mumbling to myself in awe at the enormous water beasts which track us , must be 10 and more metres high
We work in full oilskins and bare feet (strange folk) topped off with head torches that make us look like aliens trundling around the cockpit with our red night lights on
Sometimes it is hard work steering but mostly ok, Liberty has a good helm
The seas come form all angles but mostly from astern. Often a nasty wet experience on a boat
I have watched them, and they approach with venom, right up to the transom, If I raise my arm I could scratch your horrid chin I mutter,
Must appear fearless in the face of an enemy (or so Bj's Pokemon informs me)
The Beasts growl and gather speed ready to pounce on their fleeing prey. They bare their bleached white teeth as the wave starts to break at the top.
I shift in the seat, readying myself for the dowsing of cold salt heavy water, which will gush into weary oilies and onto tired skin, and pickle eyeballs no matter
how tightly you squeeze your eyes shut.
A big shiver, as physiologically, my body knows it has to prepare
The Beast is dark ugly and huge
Liberty lifts her skirts, gracefully kicks her heels. tucks herself off a fraction, and artfully nips out of the Beasts clutches
The Beast collapses defeated and rumbles away to find a lesser enemy, all white and foaming and angry
Liberty gives a royal wave and with great dignity, glides back to her course..
How do you do it? I ask her in wonderment as I hang over the rail giving a trembling finger or two to the retreating monster singing nah nah nah cant catch us
After some hours I wonder why I am conversing so much with myself...
I mention to Graham that I feel I am behaving like the mad guy on WaterWorld who mumbles away in a vaguely scottish accent
Grum reassures that my observation is correct but that the time to worry is when I start to look like the guy
Liberty might be a lowly construction of production plastic but Jeanneau did some things right. Not one Beast got us. IS nt she something!
xxx