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Haji - SV Haji: Ship's log n°9 - Deep Blue Blues



As mentioned previously, our time in Mindelo was brief. Once the euphoria of being on land and meeting up with our ARC+ friends had worn off, we were left with tiredness, and three stressful days of prepping. We are not used to having a deadline when cruising, and despite our adept organisational skills we were left with no free time. Although I sent a postcard home, I saw no more than three streets of Cape Verde's Mindelo, so I feel like a bit of a cheat.

No down time - Strike one.

I am not a good sleeper at the best of times. The swell being what it was in the marina, it had us snatching at our lines like no one's business (we moor bow in). Needless to say, the forepeak was a less than desirable berth to sleep in.

Nearing exhaustion - Strike two.

Dead in the water. Going so imperceptibly slow that the navigation system cannot give us an ETA - in fact it gives up altogether. Morale runs low, tempers high. Is there anything more frustrating? We are a small boat. We have enough fuel to run the motor for 72 hours at a push, and a Skipper who would rather do away with 'the dirty thing' altogether. We can't waste it this close to the start.. Gradually, one by one, our neighbouring boats give in to temptation, start their engines, and pull away from us. We were lucky to have Blue Mist hanging around, keeping us company, making us feel a little better (cheers David!)

No wind - Strike three! You're OUT!

That was it - day one and I had already succumbed to a 'coup de Blues'. Despite my best intentions to use this time to my advantage, I can do little more than rise from my bunk for my watches, and gather together the strength to provide my crew with an edible dinner. The will to do anything else is simply not there. Sounds depressing? It is.

What I mean to say is, it can be hard at times - unusual sleeping patterns, confined space, restricted choice of activites. Usually, it is easier to change your mind set: go for a walk, go to the cinema, have a meal out with friends... On a boat in the middle of the Atlantic, it is more of a challenge.

I am sure I am not the only one to feel this way, so to anyone else who sometimes feels those Deep Blue blues, know you are not alone!

Eventually, a decent kip and an invigorating solar shower on deck had me seeing more on the bright side of life again. The wind has kicked in, we have an ETA of roughly eleven days, and the rum punch is waiting.

Haji Out.




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