Oh Today

Oh today, we woke very early in the morning, and we had breakfast and we watched the ocean go by…
We always sang that song with the kids to recount the days activities, and someone would always chime in with their memory of a detail until all had been remembered together. Just like my father had sung to me as a boy long ago.

These days are melting across midnights with the watch changes putting the crew on their individual clocks, but we all gather for sentinel events, like sunset and moonrise. These are spectacular lately with the big full moon guiding us into the night. Then a big yellow with blue fringed return on the radar and we are pelted with rain for 20 minutes. After it stops we move into a moonlit surface that is an island of light, very reassuring. Heading 081, speed 5.5 kts, 156 miles to the next way point turn.

Earlier, we set up the fishing gear, with a rod and reel Brian brought from Victoria. The lure from POP marine in Honolulu was placed and about 150’ line played out behind the boat. The infamous green Straub chair was placed in the cockpit for the fight, and we waited. Later we said to one another what is that zinging noise? Yikes, fish on! A few minutes of arduous reeling and there it was, our first catch, a nice yellowfin tuna of a few pounds only, but just right nonetheless. I quickly administered a sedative, for the fish, not the fisherman, by spraying his gills with rum. Just like a dose of Versed, fish was out and quiet in seconds. The fish on this boat get more grog than the crew. In a few minutes, Brian had carved tuna steaks for dinner. It was delicious.

As we had slowed down for the fish wrangling, we noticed how appealing the water seemed. So we shut down the engine and jumped into that cool blue once again. I checked the charts and it was deep deep, 15000 feet. Totally refreshing. And yes I now know that our swim in the Sibuyan Sea at 4000 feet was not as deep as the Atlantic. But, hey, when I swam in the Atlantic in Florida at age 10, it was over my head, and that qualified as a subjective measurement generalized to the body of water at large. Thanks to my observant oceanographer daughter for the objective correction, five miles deep near Puerto Rico.

After a few days of 90 degrees and 90% humidity, the crew was looking a bit droopy. So after careful consideration of our fuel (plenty) I started the generator and turned on the AC. Within minutes, smiles and comfort all around, miraculous. AC is a new form of grog.

Watch change time again, That is it for today, a good day.
All the best,
John

09 02N
140 56E
UTC 1053 11/10