A day of joy- but still 15 to go
Salsa af Stavsnas
Ellinor Ristoff Staffan Ehde
Tue 30 Apr 2013 01:54
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Today has been a marvelous day, we got out of the
hot humid air and are now out of the ICTZ. At the same time we are meeting the
Humboldt Current, that is very cold water.It is now 21 degrees C in the
air and humidity is low. Much better than 34 degrees and a almost
90% humidity. At the same time we had a sun shining from a clear sky all day,
the sea almost flat and a breeze of 14 knots (7 sekundmeter). Salsa has been a
joy to sail, meaning we had to do nothing for the last 24 hours. This means we
have time to read loud, right now we are reading Villervalle i Söderhavet, a
book about a Swedish family that moves to Tuamotu in Tahiti. It is the second
time we read it on demand from the children, and this time things make more
sense. In the book we just read about them transit the Panama Canal etc. We have
to thank Hjalmar and Alice Munter for lending us this book just when we
where leaving.
Before that we read the entire Nils Holgersson ( a
classical book about a boy travelling the entire Sweden on the back of a
goose).
Crossing the equator?
No, we hoped so, but we are under the influence of
the wind direction, pointing towards St Cruix in Galapagos (or the Archipellago
de Colon). We can just point as high as the sails can make a lift and that means
when the wind is backing we tend to go more west.
So we might cross the equator in the middle of the
night.
Our intention was to surprise the children by
having me dressed as King Neptune and baptise them etc. But on the radio net I
asked what others intended to do and we got inspired by the family on
Sirius.They had the kids prepare themselfes to play the roles and we gave our
children the same assignement. This means that they have been busy all afternoon
and the forward shower/toilet is closed for us to enter. One of traditions we
learned today on the net, is to speak up matters you have done on board that are
not good, then there will be some kind of penalty from King Neptune to be
performed. That part the children love the best...
From Sunrise we got an email
suggesting:
As to crossing the Equator. Basically, you will have to make sure that you
have some "real" tests to prove that you are no longer Pollywogs (baby frogs)
and that your are indeed Shellbacks (tough sea-creatures like old lobsters), as
we know you are. Maybe everyone will have to have a special bucket of water
poured over their head that was drawn from 0 degrees 0.000 N. Or perhaps they
will have to run around the deck dressed only in red rubber gloves... Or maybe,
if the wind is still calm, swim a lap around the boat while the boat is hove-to
at 0 0.000 ... well, I think you are creative enough to come up with some kind
of proof of your sea-fareing prowess.
Thank you Bill, that is something we will do as
well.
Ellinor and I have prepared some green pasta that
looks like sea weeds that has to be eaten with blue bread that looks like
worms....
We are about 20 hours from St Cruix and from there
we have another 10 hours to Isla Isabela where we intend to land. But the hours
mentioned are all dependent on a steady wind and we all know how that can
go....
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