We are sailing

NORDLYS
David and Annette Ridout
Sun 6 May 2007 20:40
6th Night at Sea
 
19:24S  109:29E
0300hrs, Monday 7th May 2007
 
As I write this Annette is asleep, a waning moon is overhead casting an eerie white glow over the scene and all is well on the good ship Nordlys.  The scene is in fact one of typical trade wind sailing.  Genoa boomed out to port, staysail in the slot and main tied down hard to starboard.  Nordlys is hurling herself happily along with some 15 to 18 knots of wind behind her.  A ship has just passed about five miles off to starboard which is a good thing as it reminds us that a good watch does have to be kept and that we are not the only creatures crossing this watery desert.  The last word is very much correct alas.  Now we are in the tropics there are few birds and apparently no fish, at least none who fancy our lure!
 
Yesterday was not all bliss.  The wind was too light for down wind sailing most of the time and with sails slating it was a pleasant relief to 'charge the batteries' and have engine propulsion for a few hours.  Just as we could no longer use the excuse of the batteries to keep the engine on the wind filled in and off we went.  At least the current which has been stubbornly against us seems to have eased off and we are now crossing the worlds surface at an average of nearly seven knots.  A pleasant change after the light winds and counter current of the last few days reduced this figure to about 4 to 5.
 
One of the best things about this passage for us is to find that even after a year off we have fitted very quickly to life afloat and underway.  Ropes come easily to hand, we walk around the ship at night without needing lights, handholds are still filled away in our brains despite a year of good Australian wine. I am sure people are still killing themselves in Iraq and the London Underground is full of commuters but for us this all seems a million miles away and we are happy to be escapists for a while.  Thus I sign off with Christmas Island 578 miles in front of us and Fremantle and its many memories 880 behind us.
David