Equator (almost), Pacific Ocean 7 Feb 2012 6:13 a.m. 00S11 141W07
The equator is on the horizon literally; we’re about 12 miles away now. I think the horizon is about 15 miles away. Frank says you can see a coconut tree at 7 miles, and a reef at 2, all depending on visibility of course. If there were a coconut tree on that invisible line, we’d see it in about 40 minutes. And at our current speed of +/-7knots we’d hit the tree in a little under 2 hours. But luckily, coconut trees are scarce in these parts. Pretty much everything is scarce in these parts, except for sky and water – there’s lots of both.
There is a strange disconnect coming below, staring at a screen with lines all over, the nav program shows squigly lines of sea mounts and trenches, latitude and longitide lines, equator and tropic lines, bright lines showing our path, course and track (where we’ve been, where we’re supposed to be headed, and where we are headed) – then going back up to no lines at all (not counting the lines on the boat), even the horizon is not a line, but a circle surrounding us. All I can see is 15 miles of sinuous waves and endless miles of almost cloudless sky. There is lots of blue, even the few clouds are more blue than white today. On land so many of of the invisible lines are visible with fences and hedges and plantings and roads and paths, all following property lines, country lines, or terrain lines. Out here it’s rare to see even a line of current, although sometimes we see squall lines. No lines today, enough to confuse a flatlander.
We have super easy sailing right now, 10-15 knots out of the east, we’re heading north doing 7 knots on a comfy beam reach. The boat is heeling less than it was the day before yesterday which makes for a more comfortable nav seat, and we have more wind than yesterday so the engine is off. There is hardly any swell to speak of. We’re just gliding along. It feels almost like flying. Frank said this ocean would be packed if every day were like this. I think he’s right, you’d all give up land living and come join us out here if this were the norm. I wouldn’t mind a few more friends nearby, but it would make for more intense watches. Still any of you that are tempted, come on in, the water is fine.
Almost two years since we sailed from the hemisphere with more land than water to the hemisphere with more water than land. I suppose I ought to rouse the crew to pay homage to Neptune, and to greet the northern hemisphere properly. It’s awfully quiet in here. Last time we crossed in the wee hours of the morning, barreling along at over 10 knots (with help from the equatorial currents). All in all, Neptune seems a patient dude – maybe I’ll let sleeping sailors lie (they probably wouldn’t tell Neptune the truth anyway).
xoxomo
45 minutes since I started this…that imaginary coconut tree is in sight.