A Trampoline on board !!

Tueseday, October 28/08

Hi there:
Jan signing in- finally! I was going to write this a few days ago while we were at sea but sitting below in the Navigation Station with the hatches closed, no air movement and the boat tossing around was not my idea of fun, so let me back track a little.

Monday afternoon started off as a very quiet, almost windless afternoon, lazily bobbing along at 1 1/2 to 2 kts, listening to Bob playing his guitar. The setting was perfect. As I look around in all four directions, I see nothing but water, horizon, sky, more water and rolling swells big enough that my writing is affected as I write in my journal. Yet the sea is as calm as it's been since we left port Danarau in Fiji. We are the only ones out here, as far as the eye can see and probably beyond.
We haven't even seen a boat for two days!! The only noise out here is the occasional "cracking" sound of the sails as they flop windless in the breeze. We had left the fast paced, hectic, deadline driven city life for this. What a great decision!

I however quickly realized that without the wind, we could be out here for ever. Judging from the wind to this point, we had estimated our arrival in Vanuatu at dawn the following day. Now it appeared like it would take 2 more days. After four days on the boat, I was really looking forward to a hot shower.

That evening Bob and I prepared a meal of pork chops, mashed potatoes and coleslaw and then went to sleep early so as to catch a nap before our 3am - 6am watch. Well around 10 pm the action started. The south east trade built up momentum and soon we were sailing at 8 to 9 kts. in what now had become 5 - 6 ft. swells. All this was happening as I was "trying" to sleep. Sails were changed and immediately I noticed a change in my salon berth. Where things before had been a slow soothing rock, suddenly
I felt like I was sleeping on a trampoline, with 4 year old Jonathon jumping up and down beside me. I had ignored Matt's suggestion to use the weather cloth. (a cloth which you tie next to you to keep you from rolling around in your berth or onto the floor). When I turned on my side, the washing machine action started. I was literally lifted off my berth and tossed back and forth. At one point I landed on Bob's knees. He wasn't too thrilled about that as moments before he had been hit with
a shower of water as we had forgotten to batten down the hatches. Ah - beginners at sea !! Dennis and Rita and the two of us are on a huge learning curve and are enjoying every minute of it. (Well, almost every minute). That one hour of nauseousness I experienced yesterday when I decided to try living without the Stugeron was not that enjoyable!

Anyway with all this activity and the action above in the cockpit, I was too excited to sleep. Watching Conversations gliding along (okay, mastering the swells, might be a better way of describing it) was a sight to behold. It was even more exciting when it was finally my turn to take the helm. I was beginning to feel when she was happy. When the sail angles were completely balanced, one slight move to port would slow us down and a little to starboard would cause the sails to luff. Keep her on
course and she's happy. Now, that is until the wind direction changes slightly and then we start all over again.

As night watch turned into dawn, it became Matt's turn to master the helm and bring us safely into Port Resolution Bay on Tanna Island. This island has an active volcano which we were all interested in seeing. Bringing the boat into the bay was no small feat considering we had to come in from the windward side of the island with what were now 10 foot swells, good wind speed and coral reefs to watch for. Matt did an excellent job and later Cress took the helm, and Matt, Bob and Dennis were on
the sails (with Cress' expert guidance). They handled everything exceptionally and we arrived safely at 9:30 am., to my biggest relief !!

The next few days would be spent exploring the local village and going up the mountain to see the volcano. Much excitement still ahead but I'll leave that to someone else to write about.

Cheers -
A Prairie Girl at Sea !