Crossing the Equator
Tonight, on my shift we will cross the equator. Pierre tells me I must give gifts to Neptune. What kind? Good ones, like a laptop and the like, he replies. I am willing to sacrifice the fridge, the dessalator, and a bunch of other broken things but my environmentally conscious citizen’s mind won’t let me go there. The best thing on this boat is my husband. Can I throw him while he is wearing the Spinlock and then reel him in with the Life-Sling? The captain says “no”. During my night shift, I squeeze into the chest-minimizing device (aka Spinlock harness) and fiercely steer the ship towards the equator. The…
Sailing Boot Camp
This sailing boot camp is merciless. It must be like the astronauts, learning to live in a zero-gravity environment. Well, not that extreme but I find I must quickly develop brand new skills in everything I do. Lesson 1 – Learning How to Shower on a Moving Sailboat The most effective way to shower is while sitting on the toilet. Otherwise you need a helmet, knee and elbow pads. The toilet seat has now become loose from the abuse. Once you have almost mastered the skills of showering or peeing on a bouncing toilet, Sailing Camp raises the bar. How about you do all that but without the fresh water?…
In Papeete Marina
We are in Papeete marina and preparing for moving the boat to Hawaii. It is hot and humid here, as summer in Tahiti should be. Rain showers come and go soaking us to the last thread while walking on the street. The laundry never dries outside. Seattle is clueless about what ‘rain’ really means. Welcome to the tropics! I am about to learn how much time goes into opening and closing hatches on the boat. I occupy myself with endless cleaning and familiarizing with hatches, cabinets, newly discovered nooks and crannies, cleaning some nasty slimy biofilm from the water tanks, and scrubbing the teak floors. Multiple times. While dripping in…