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October 5
Row in the rain, it saves on washing. I climbed out of the cabin this
morning into a steady drizzle. The sunrise was superb. A heavy black
cloud stood over me dropping the rain, but it was high enough that as the
sun came up its rays had a clear horizon. Pinks, yellows and purples
flared in all directions illuminating the clouds through the rain. Before
long, an immense rainbow stretched across my bow. I've been reluctant to
shoot video for a number of reasons, but I knew words alone could not
capture the scene. The video will not capture it either, but I gave it a
try.
It rained off and on all day, but there was nothing uncomfortable about it.
I had a few hours of good sun around noon that gave me enough power to run
the desalinator and fill my fresh water tank. In the evenings a few nights
a week, I use the Iridium telephone to speak with friends back home. In
response to my e-mail reports there has sprung up a "Hydration Hysteria."
Everyone tells me to "drink a lot of water." Eat and sleep and row yes,
but "drink a lot of water." I AM DRINKING A LOT OF WATER. If you do not
hear from me, or I cannot pull down my e-mail, it is because I am saving
power to MAKE WATER which in the course of life out here I DRINK. In fact,
I am drinking so much water that the supply of toilet paper is dwindling at
a terrific rate. So, ENOUGH about drinking my water.
October 6
Bigfoot strikes again. This morning I was lying on my back in my cabin and
using the ceiling 30+ inches over my head to stretch out my right hamstring
(back of my thigh) which has been grumpy lately. I was about to get up
when a wave broke over the boat that knocked me sideways. As I slid I
caught my foot on the cord to my compass light. Suffice it to say the cord
is no longer attached to the compass. This will make rowing at night more
difficult. I steer by my large compass. I have a smaller compass that has
a light in it, but the smaller one is not nearly as trustworthy.
The wind has picked up again and progress is good. My favorite time of day
to row is sunrise. It is light, but the sun is not yet hot. Because I
face the stern of my boat while rowing, I look east as I move west. This
gives me a good view of the sunrise.
Last summer, I had the American flag mounted on the gunwale. It was behind
me near the bow. I planned to do the same this year, but while we were in
the Canary Islands the folks in Los Gigantes harbor insisted that I fly a
Spanish flag on my boat. The only place to put one placed it at the same
level as my American Flag. This would not do, would not do, simply, would
not do! Joe found a pipe and rigged a temporary flagpole on the cabin roof
using the mast to my running light as a support. In the end, we (Noreen
and Joe I think) placed a proper flagpole mount on the cabin roof and Mac
spent several hours filing down a teak flagpole to fit the mount. The
result is that the American flag waves proudly over my cabin roof and I can
watch it all day as I row. This, too, is particularly pleasing at sunrise.
I hope those reading will forgive my blatant nationalism. I would not say
that my country is better or worse than another country. But, it is my
country. We've made our share of mistakes and transgressions in our short
history, but at the same time there is much good that can be reported. The
American Pearl is too small a vessel to have it declared a "Ship of State."
Were it a few feet longer, I might be allowed to think of it as a floating
piece of the United States. Ah well, it is enough for me to row under the
American flag.
October 7
As promised by the weather forecasters, the winds are back in force. It was
an uncomfortable night with much banging and crashing about the cabin. I
rowed for several hours this morning, but have retreated early for my noon
break.
The good news is that I used the time away from rowing to solder the
compass light wires back onto my main compass. This was no small feat and
I am, though I say so myself, rather proud of the outcome. I have on board a
little butane soldering iron and I managed to use it without dripping hot
solder onto my kneecaps or burning a hole in anything important. I dropped
the soldering iron at one point, thanks to the boat falling off the top of
a wave at a crucial moment. But, I caught it between my knees. Lucky for
me, I snagged it point down and by the handle, otherwise I might have
singed myself.
From the look of things outside, there will be little good rowing today and
I may need to resort to the sea anchor before too long to keep the boat at a
good angle to the growing swells. It may be peanut butter and crackers for
dinner. I CAN cook in rough weather, but pouring boiling water from
container to container is a challenge on a good day in this boat. Besides,
peanut butter sits in the stomach better on a rough sea.
As ever,
Tori
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