Night watches are one of the great pleasures and biggest pains of any long passage.  I usually dislike the 2 am to 5 am watch the most.  But last night was different, no idea why but I had a lovely watch.  I didn’t reach for the iPod I just sat and watched the stars, saw half a dozen shooting stars while my mind wandered ( I know I lost my mind years ago and now it is just wondering around considering what to do next!)

I ran through some of those live defining decisions and how things might be different if I had made a different decision.  What if I had actually applied myself at school or college would I have achieved more in my life?  And at work should I have spent more time agreeing (or at least not openly arguing) with senior management.  Would I now be a “success”?  I don’t feel that I have failed, but I do think that perhaps I could have achieved more academically and in my career.  I have made mistakes in all aspects of my life, but the I guess who hasn’t, some seem important and I wish I had done something different... but would I really be happier?  Would I be doing this now?  We are here in this moment in time because of the sum of everything that has gone before. Who knows what the future will hold but life is out here I have no doubt about that!

This morning when I woke for the 8 am watch Dicken informed me that there was a 36 foot sailing yacht about 10 miles away, but we never say it...just it’s electronic footprint on the screen.  Then I saw dozens of flying fish quite amazing.   They sense danger, in this case us, and fly out of a wave and turn and head off 100 metres before ducking back in.  They looked for all the world like a flock of small birds.

For us, we are rushing along averaging over 6.5 knots through the night.  My money is still on the 20th but I can already taste that first rum punch!

I hope all is well back home, wherever you are.  I hear the UK is pretty stormy...please keep it.  We are happy with our 15 knots of NE wind and hot sunshine, some clouds come over sometimes to keep it bearable.

 

Love

Alasdair, Gill, Dicken, Ian, Habitat, Pickles and Star Charger

If you aren’t living on the edge you are taking up too much room.