Charm - Day 6

This is the part of a trip like this when the days begin to blend. The meditative power of the ocean causes time to pass surprisingly quickly despite what might seem to the outsider like "boredom."

I missed much of the morning after allowing myself to sleep in post the 3am to 6am night watch. Tully had made a full recovery after the previous night's dramatic, lack of sleep- induced tantrums. (Kent inviting her to see the planets resulted in screaming, crying "I don't wanna see the planets! Take me to see the planets mamma!!!"). Anyways, this morning Tully was in good form and dressed up in her doctor uniform to perform surgery on her stuffed animals. Cobin continued to teach me things I've either forgotten or didn't know. Yesterday, it was a lecture on quantum computing and the pros/ cons of the various forms of touch screen technology. Today, it was a refresher on how to derive a decimal from a fraction by hand. Charm school benefits the whole crew!

The wind was elusive and light today. Yesterday's excitement about doing 8 knots directly towards the mark faded and we were once again humbled and forced to be patient. Anyways, if I had wanted to get to St. Lucia quickly I would have taken a plane! The afternoon passed with exercise and reading. The boat workouts are getting more and more creative. A bucket filled with rope works well for a weight and yesterday Joe and I rigged a small rope climb off a halyard on the mast. Of course there is also my portable "hangboard" in the cockpit which helps maintain finger strength for rock climbing. Turns out the mid Atlantic isn't exactly a climbers paradise. The kids are also using the hangboard to work on their daily pull ups.

The day finished with a poetry night! Highlights included Marin's improvised and touching performance about love and Joe's handwritten poetry. The poetry was accompanied by wine and an elaborately decorated cake. Here is an excerpt from a Spanish poem by Jose Esponceda translated to English:

"My treasure is my gallant bark
My only God is liberty
My law is might, the wind my mark
My country is the sea"

Cheers from the middle of the ocean!

-Tim