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Gertha 4 - Surprise Visit



Coming up onto my watch this morning it seemed like little had changed; the fog was close, the sky was grey, it was cold and wet. But it seems something may be happening. The wind is shifting a little, and we had a surprise visit from some long-finned pilot whales! One of them even popped its head out so we could see it properly. Apparently they can travel in groups upwards of 50 animals. It’s so easy to forget how much is happening beneath the surface. One of which might be the appearance of the Gulf stream, and hence some slight changes.
 
Settled into the routine now. Wake, watch, eat, drink, sleep. Repeat, repeat, repeat. I am finding this leg tougher than the last. Maybe it’s the cold, or maybe it’s the accumulated tiredness of so many months on the road and now at sea. Or perhaps the idea of home being so close has sunk in and set on my bones. Up until very recently home has been such a distant thing, despite the fact that we’ve been slowly edging our way towards it for about five months now!
 
Strange to think that we’ll be sat at my mum’s house wolfing down a lasagne with the ocean crossing behind us. As tired as I am, I’m still enjoying it. It’s a constant spectacle to me, out here. The slight variations in weather and conditions almost set a back-drop for my mood and train of thought (pathetic fallacy, is that?!).
 
I still feel afraid when I’m working on the foredeck, prepping a sail to go up. Not sure if I’ve mentioned yet, but I’m terrified of the sea, and even when I’m clipped on I’m still shaking with the fear. I don’t talk about that much on board as I figured it’s best to just deal with it and crack on and learn and enjoy. Still, gives me a rush each time I scramble back on deck, and I’m enjoying figuring out how the sails work.
 
Going along nicely, up to seven knots. Expecting some slower days coming up, possibly.
 
Dreaming of chip shop chips.
 
Anthony
 
 


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