Groundhog Day

From Geoff:

It must be hard to imagine for people at home the feeling of “groundhog day” that comes with traveling out here. We left from Panama on Saturday 26th Jan (Australia Day) and all day and all night since then has been just water as far as you can see. We have seen 1 other boat since we left Panama – a fishing boat on the horizon just short of the Galapagos. We saw our last land a week after Panama(the Galapagos Islands), and it will be next Sunday before we see any again! And that is only if this wind holds up. It really makes you appreciate that the land area that is the entire world for most people is really an insignificant part of this planet – most of it is water like this.

Each morning is spent cleaning 30 or 40 dead squid and flying fish off the deck before they leave nasty stains. Then we start our little trusty generator to recharge the batteries that are essential to keep the auto pilot going and the milk cold in the fridge. It adds a new dimension to life when everything that on land is taken for granted must be a conscious decision out here. The autopilot is really essential to be able to do a trip like this – without it fatigue would make it incredibly dangerous for us, and it will not run without batteries. “Auto” just keeps on plugging away doing a fabulous job to keep us on track. But then the other thing that we need to monitor is the fuel usage to be able to charge the batteries. We don’t have enough fuel to be able to keep the motor running, so it is a careful balance of needing power, but not overdoing the fuel use to obtain that.

We seem to keep busy each day with bits of maintenance – there is always something to do on a yacht. In between times lots of reading and when enthusiastic I get the guitar out and try to learn a new chord. What day it is, and even the concept of day and night have become insignificant to us, the wind doesn’t stop blowing and the boat just keeps plugging on towards the Marquases. Meal times go out the window, and we tend to eat when we feel hungry rather than following the “normal” meal times. On that front, we have just about got to the end of our frozen food, so most of the next week will be tinned food meals, lots of rice and pasta. But we do eat well – again essential to stay healthy for our own safety.

It is Friday night in Australia right now, and while you have your weekend, go to work for the week, sleep at night and all the week’s activities, we wake up each morning to the same view of a seemingly endless sea. We are however, making really good time, and should arrive in Nuku Hiva (Marquases) on Sunday – again if the wind holds out. It has been constant since leaving the Galapagos, blowing between 12 and 16 knots from the south. So the sails were set then, and we have not needed to adjust them or our course since! Trying to walk on solid ground will be interesting after so long with a constant heal on the yacht….might need to hang on to something.

Thanks for all you comments, they are very much appreciated. We hope everyone is well and happy, and look forward to seeing you all soon.