Does anybody really know what day it is?
Harmonie
Don and Anne Myers
Mon 9 Jun 2008 00:01
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18:47.694S 172:19.661W
We are sailing nicely with a crew of three - which
makes for very good sleeping schedules (only one night watch per person and the
ability to sleep at least four hours at a time). We left Niue at precisely
the right time yesterday morning as the wind was kicking up from the northwest,
making for a very uncomfortable stay on the mooring in the completely
unprotected bay. There was a bit of excitement when Don went to pick up
our crew, Mandy, on the wharf yesterday morning. It was high tide and the
wind was driving waves into the shore and into the wharf. Don almost fell
out of the dinghy while trying to hold the dinghy alongside the wharf long
enough for Mandy and her four big bags of luggage (including one very precious
computer bag) to tumble in. The swell was fairly mighty and the dinghy was
moving up and down as well as being pushed backwards and forwards. Mandy
and Don and her luggage arrived back at the bouncing boat pretty much dripping
wet. Mandy's computer survived, but the same couldn't be said for the nice
loaf of bread she purchased for us. The normally 5"x10" loaf of bread was
transformed into a 2"x5" brick in the dinghy loading and unloading
process. Never fear though, we cut the bread brick into chunks
which turned into nice buns for our sausage dinner last night.
No food waste on this boat!
We expect to arrive in Tonga at first light
tomorrow morning if not a little earlier. The time and date at which we
arrive will be somewhat of a mystery. The international date line
officially exists at 180 degrees longitude. However, like all time zones,
the boundaries are changed to accommodate civilization....you wouldn't want half
of Tonga operating on today time and the other half of Tonga operating on
tomorrow time now would you? So, we will be crossing the arbitrary
international date line at 173 degrees west longitude, which will happen about
six hours from now. At that point, it will cease to be Sunday, June 8 and
will suddenly become Monday, June 9. A whole day gone - stolen from
us by the space-time continuum - and we will never gain it back unless we decide
at some point to turnaround and start heading east. So, we are behind most
of you by seven hours now, but soon will be ahead of you by seventeen
hours. We are going to look for the big, bold dotted line in the sea when
we cross both the arbitrary date line and the 'real' date line, but don't have
high hopes of seeing anything because the line on the chart is blue. We
continue to wonder why these chartmakers insist on coloring major milestones
like the equator and international date line blue.
In celebration of this momentous occasion, we plan
to eat some of Don's tuna with a bottle of real French champagne purchased way
back when in Martinique. We'll be sure to give Neptune a sip, just to keep
him happy - at least until we get to Tonga tomorrow (or really the day after
tomorrow).
Anne
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