Windancer IV - A Day at Sea with Windancer IV

A typical day begins with the sunrise. If you are the lucky person on watch from 5-8am, you can see the seas lighten and suddenly the waves that you up til then only felt, are visible. Then over your left shoulder the clouds pinken, turning yellow and red over the hour. Within the hour, you suddenly spy a flashlight size brilliant light and within 10 minutes the sun is up. And a new day dawns.

Since we have travelled over 15 degrees west, we have set our clocks back an hour and now, the skies lighten by 6ish. Fish lines are set while it is still dark. Up til this morning, we have had no luck, but today, we broke our dry spell. First a bite and then, we hooked our first small dorado which will be a lunch snack.

As the person coming off watch, I started the espresso coffee. Captain John is always up early and this morning he filleted the fish while I started on breakfast. Saturday is French Toast day. The gang slowly wanders into the galley and as each sits down, breakfast is served. We split dishes duty with the typical rule - if you cook, you dont clean.

The kids start homework around 9:30 and spend the next few hours doing math, English, writing their journal. When homework is done, then the rest of the day is free. Jenny and her cousin Ariel do crafts, draw, play games and generally just chat as only two 10-year old girls can. Connor typically has his head in a book as soon as homework is over.

The adults read, take turns on watch up on the bridge, adjust the sails and sometime during the day, head back for a nap.

Noon is a big moment for us, as it is at 12 that John uploads these emails out, sends our position to the ARC and downloads any incoming emails and weather reports from the ARC. Mail time is a treat and a lovely reminded that there are loads of people out there following our progress. We are 700 miles into our trip - one quarter of the way.

To maintain battery charge we run either our generator or one of our engines (revved but not in gear as that counts against your standing in the ARC positioning). When the generator runs, we make water, run a load of laundry if necessary and microwave any food as necessary.

Afternoons are more reading, game playing and just hanging out. Maris is a fabulous singer and can be found belting out showtunes from the bridge. From anyone else this would be annoying, but when you have a voice as lovely as hers, it is a delight. John spends time every afternoon calculating our position and adjusting our course, as necessary. Bruce and he also do any repairs required. Bruce heads back for a nap, but only after he teaches chart plotting to the kids. Marlene can been found reading, napping, doing homework with her daughter or supervising violin practice. Ziggy has her head in a book, spends hours staring at the fishing line or finishing an anklet for one of the crew members.

Typically if you are not on watch, you cook. We eat like kings on board - steak and potatoes, Thai stir fry, pasta carbonnara, chili, breakfast burritos. We open a bottle of wine with dinner and every dinner is not complete until we celebrate `Lindt-o clock`when each watch member chooses their favourite Lindor ball chocolate.

Connor stands watch from 6-8 and then then night watch schedule begins. And the next day it starts all over again. It is amazing how the time flies by and we can spend hours watching waves, the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of dolphins or if really lucky, a whale.

Sun goes down, stars sparkle in the blackest sky and a new day dawns.

Authored by Ziggy MacKenzie, First Mate Windancer IV