Our on-board activities and routines as described
previously continue with it seems an increasing sense of routine acceptance
and commitment. Despite the wide range of people and personalities reflecting
our very differing backgrounds, ages and experiences, the group including both
guests and professional crew seem to have settled well into a necessary
acceptance of and respect for diversity - and occasional differences of
viewpoint and style! - and of the need also for a well-oiled and structured
boat and a people management system. In terms of the process
of group formation described by group analysts we seem to
have successfully negotiated the stages of
'stormin, formin and normin...'.
As previously noted, our activities include
watch-keeping and helming at all hours of the day and night, cooking under
constrained circumstances in a small, bucking and
rolling galley, and keeping things (including ourselves) clean. The culinary
delights emanating from the galley continue to amaze with their quality
and diversity. These have included light brunches such as bacon baguettes,
omelettes, tuna and potato salad, and meals including wholesome staples
such as pork chops and mash through to curious esoteric spicy pasta sauce
fusions and, last night, a sublime veg and chicken curry. This curry magicked up
by Laura (talents obviously wasted in the media!)
was undoubtedly and by general consent the outstanding and much appreciated
dish of the trip so far.
Other tasks have of course included keeping this grand,
old, hard-worked boat maintained and repaired and in this respect our
skipper and mate have been performing heroic endeavours above and beyond
the call of duty. Today saw a further check and tightening of some seals around
the rudder stock which had previously caused some slightly worrying leakage but
which all seems now well under control.
Our own food provisioning efforts have also finally
borne fruit again today after some frustrating days in the shape of a seriously
large mahi-mahi caught on the line thanks to the efforts of he fishing sub team
led essentially by our younger Dutch master mariner Arie and our first mate Xav.
We estimate the fish to be at least 7kg -
naturally! This really is a great catch and will provide a good few tasty steaks
and more immediate - any minute now! - sashimi type snacks. Xav, our expert fish processor and
chopper up, has however noted the urgent need for a decent sized chopping board
for such specimens!
On the watches especially at night maybe more emerges
through our chats of our reasons, probably often only half conscious, for
being here and undertaking this voyage, and of its personal and collective
challenges. Maybe one emergent theme has been the competing inclinations we seem
to variously experience between our agendas of 'getting places and doing
things' - and just being here and 'in' the experience with its
challenges and anxieties. This has perhaps been best captured by our resident
de-facto on-board philosopher Dr Paul N who has noted that he finds that
'focussing on just being somewhere' helps us 'to experience being nowhere'.
Certainly experience of the endless unpredictable
hugeness of the ocean by both day and night can be a scary, unnerving but also
fulfilling experience - and at a personal level very thought provoking and
sobering. As the French philosopher Blaise Pascal famously voiced 'the infinite
endless space of the universe overwhelms me....' But pithy as ever, Dr
Paul also notes that staring up a brilliant star-filled sky for too long can
give you a sore neck! Our discussions have also illuminatingly
ranged from topics such as comparative human rights and ethics (e.g. in the
Middle East) and the never far away reminders of what horrors humans can
inflict on each other and the planet - through to work hassles, holiday
destinations and good places in the Caribbean to partake of 'a serious
refreshment'!
So this challenging and engaging process continues to
unfold for each of us and for our emerging group where contacts and perhaps
longer term relationships are developing - all as as part of the whole
experience. No doubt there will be no clear resolution to any of the issues
this has touched on - all just part perhaps of 'life's richly woven
pattern'. As Arie has suggested we should just treat each new day as
a new day sail!
On that note, we are all, I think, still looking forward
to the next and further days sailing! And hopefully
Mike can 'persuade' someone else to offer another voice to reflect on them
tomorrow!
(IBK)
PS Another hot and sunny day, blue sea and sky,
with some good sailing chute hours!
position: 16.31.840N,
42.15.677W