Day 13. 600 miles out from Trindad.
We’ve had a catastrophe aboard Discovery. Nothing broken, no one lost at sea, but still a disaster. We lost our best lure. Besides that we spaced getting proper swivels, so the remainder of our lures our useless – they just spin around endlessly until the fishing line is so screwed up (literally) that a fish couldn’t get it even if he wanted it. We have had a few flying fish hit the deck at night, so we’ll have to use one as bait if we’re to land any more fish. Gruesome tale, I know.
But thankfully the crew has remained calm and while a bit low facing our diminished fishing prospects the mood aboard is light. Malu braved the galley for the first time and whipped up the most expensive sandwiches I’ve ever eaten, using three whole blocks of our finest camembert cheese, and a nice handfull of very pricey almonds. Needless to say, she’s been delegated back to dish duty along with Tim and Dave. The galley is no place for an amateur.
Brad sighted a whale today, the first I’ve seen in ages. Nice to know the big guys are still around. David braved a swim off the stern (the water has gotten wonderfully warm), providing some welcome crew entertainment. Other than that it’s business as usual. Our small library has been gobbled by all, naps are abundant, the wind remains phenomenally steady. Our forecast looks the same today as it has every day, which should provide for a landfall in 4 days.
Usually I’m elated with an impending landfall, especially after a long crossing such as this one. A new place to discover, new mysteries and challenges that inevitably unfold. But I find myself less than eager to reach land this time. Land means schedules, repairs, stress, work, worry; phones and customs; banks and atm’s; an endless list of “to do’s”. The opposite of the peace that is found at sea. This is the finest passage I’ve yet sailed: the winds have been almost mystical in their reliability, and Discovery is simply thrilling to sail. I have relished the opportunity to decompress from our efforts over the past year putting The Best Odyssey together. An amazing journey, whose beginning is really still before us, but for me and I believe most of us, the ultimate challenge is to live in the present. Which is about all you can do when at sea.