14 March 2010
The Pacific was absolutely beautiful yesterday. The ocean cobalt blue broken with little white crests heaved gently under an azure sky, dotted with puffy cotton wool clouds. Night fall brought an entirely different scene. The wind backed, the genoa started to flog, our speed slowed dramatically, we had lost our lovely favourable current. Voyageur was not happy and neither were we. We needed to pole out the genoa but it is our policy not to go on deck for any change of sail configuration in the night. Nothing for it but to nudge southwards to try and keep the wind in the sails and review our sail plan at first light. Dreamcatcher seem to be struggling also. First they are to port of us, then they bear away to starboard. Their friendly light is lost to us sometime in the night. For the most part I am perfectly happy and content on my night watches. But there is the odd exception to that. Last night was one of them. I just could not be bothered. No moon, no twinkly stars, just black, inky black. Where had my lovely Pacific night sky gone? I just wanted to retire to my bunk and not rise till the morning. The first two hours go along at a pace, just like the first two thousand miles of a long sea passage, but the last hour like those last thousand, seem endless. Time slows. I am constantly looking at the clock. I fidget. I tinker with the sails. I adjust the autopilot. Nothing makes a difference. Voyageur is on her own time schedule. I scratch around for something to eat. I gee myself up by playing something lively on the IPod. At last.... five minutes to go! Time to put the kettle on for David.....
Susan Mackay