Another beautiful evening on the Indian Ocean! After a brief flurry of bigger wind and waves, we’ve had nothing but gorgeous sailing in 12 – 17 knots of wind on the beam, with light seas. Last night, Charm sailed herself for much of my watch, requiring only a nudge now and then to keep her on course. The wind died down, allowing Joe to sleep when he was off watch which means that everyone was in good spirits today.
It was Sunday, which is cleaning day on Charm. The kids did a great job with their chores and we spent the rest of the day alternating between actual games, podcasts, and group Minecraft sessions. On cleaning days, we try not to have school and on passages, we try to have three days of school and then a day off. This time, the two coincided so we took a day off because of cleaning and because it was the fourth day.
I got a little bit of time to myself which I used to do more cooking J and cleaning. I have never understood how people find sailing boring or restful. I still have a stack of unread books and uncompleted crossword puzzles waiting for me on that future day when I need to fill time. I’m sure it’s a completely different experience without children on board but I don’t know if I would enjoy that experience quite as much.
Cobin has been doing a two-hour watch on his own for the past few weeks. It’s very fun to watch how he has grown on the boat. From the early days when he was easily distracted while throwing docklines, he has turned into Joe’s key helper on the boat. Today he bailed water from both engine compartments, de-fogged (whatever that means) and lubricated the electrical cords and rudder in the port stern compartment, hand steered for his two-hour shift, and helped bring in the gennaker. He also stows and retrieves tools, bails out the bilges, and is the go-to person for knowing where anything is stored that is related to boat maintenance or operations. He is about 18 inches taller and probably 40 pounds heavier and a good deal stronger than when he first got on Charm one week short of his 10th birthday. All of the kids have transformed in the past three years but having a child turn into a teen-ager on board is an amazing experience.
Another shout-out to Carl, our crew member who has been with us since Lombok. I just realized that he is leaving in Richards Bay. He has become such an integral part of our team that it was a shock to remember he only signed on through South Africa. He is such a kind, helpful person – he’s always up for new challenges, shakes off bad moods or unpleasantness, is willing to wash dishes night and day, and is a detailed cleaner who, like me, delights in finding secret pockets of filth. He never complains or is grumpy and is able to read the environment and interact with the group or retreat to his space as the situation dictates. As a librarian, he is well-versed in many topics and has given me a long list of reading material and resources to look into for Charm School. Thanks Carl for all your contributions!
Gone are all the frightening forecasts of severe winds or winds against the current or anything much to worry about. Granted, we still have about three days out and anything can change but the weather models and Des, the lovely volunteer weather router out of Durban, all concur and are saying that our current conditions will more or less hold until our arrival in Richards Bay. Joe says the last day may be a bit “spicy” but only because of increased winds. Thankfully these winds are forecast to be behind us and therefore not an issue with the Agulhas Current.
Photos of Cobin bailing and Carl driving at sunset.
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