Pacific Ocean 8 April 2010 03.8729N 123.4695W
After another full day of trades, right at sunset, we saw a big raincloud ahead. The wind had calmed a bit and Frank had a sudden inspiration to jump in and check the prop – figuring that it would be a long night if we didn’t have a motor assist for the calm moments in the middle of doldrums. We took all sails down, hung a line off the back, and the captain abandoned ship. After less than a minute, Good News! Whatever had been there worked itself off after 8 days of 15-20 knot winds. Frank and I are cracking up right now, it may have been Silver Lining’s joke on us – the log says “April 1, prop fouled.” So she had us going for a week, enjoying the trades all decked out in a full suit of sails; she showed that stinky engine who’s boss.
I flashed today on the scene in the Princess Bride, where they’re partway through the swamp, and she’s scared, and he’s telling her, that everything’s under control, they listen for the sound and they know the flames are coming. She asks, “But what about the ROUSs.” His response is, “You mean the Rodents Of Unusual Size? Probably just a myth,” and there’s one right behind them. Each fear out here, I’ve managed to conquer by understanding a little better what’s going on, I was pretty nervous about him jumping over the side in fairly choppy seas, with 20 tons of steel bobbing overhead, but it was quick, easy no problem.
Me: “But Frank what about those ROUSs?” Frank: “Rainclouds of unusual size? They’re over-exaggerated.”
And the rain’s a coming down!
We had a truly unusual sunset. It was strange, we were in the middle of that dark blue-gray raincloud, and suddenly the entire sky turned brown/tan. Logan’s comment was that it looked like we’d sailed into an old sepia movie. After about 10 minutes, the color receded to one corner of the sky, then disappeared leaving us in darkness.
The kids enjoyed a cockpit “jacuzzi” this afternoon. It’s really hot, so we blocked the drains and filled the cockpit with water.
Last night we had a rare moment. We’ve had lots of high cloud cover even at night, but last night the night sky revealed herself to us in full dome, horizon to horizon, just in time to witness both the North Star and the Southern Cross in the sky at the same time.
xoxomo