Captain’s Log. Star Date 11 Dec.
Day 20. Twenty first day on the water.
2345 GMT.
2145 Local.
///kinds.voluntariness.browbeaten
https://w3w.co/kinds.voluntariness.browbeaten
A challenge filled day.
A good sleep set the ground for feeling refreshed to start the day.
Light airs offer incredibly challenging times for crews. Especially when they have limited time to prepare together before. We are incredibly close to arriving in St. Lucia, at least by way of distance.
Waiting for the breeze to fill in. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. The whole boat creaks in light airs. Like a deep groaning from the bottom of the keel to the top of the mast. The noise can be a challenge at first.
Overtime, I have come to recognise the sound of a boat in light airs as an opportunity to rest and dry; to dry the powder.
This morning we had light airs gently pushing us along the line towards NE St. Lucia. This afternoon, the breeze dropped completely. The swell decreased leaving an eerie milky-oil like sea surface. The colours looking manmade and nothing of natural cause.
As the sunset, the hues of yellow be through gold, through red. Purples and blues from the opposite horizon. The surface of the sea appearing like, (as Lou described it) something from another planet.
We had dinner and our most challenging team talk yet. Light airs fry and fray nerves. It was an emotional conversation — feedback is just feedback. When delivered correctly, feedback is neither good nor bad, it just is. To deliver feedback correctly, it is all about developing a personal relationship with the content of Positive Regard and Genuineness.
Being at sea does present issues. Ultimately, there is no democracy. The Master of a vessel assumes absolute responsibility for everything that happens at all times. It’s not possible to be perfect. It is entirely possible to set the target to be as least wrong as possibly can be each day.
A highlight for all today would be the sea-level hull inspection. As the wind dropped to nothing at all, we lowered the platform, set safety gear and swam with fishes. It is reassuring to be able to view the underside of the yacht (the hull, rudder, keel and prop) for any sign of damage. At some point we must have had a line over the top of the keel bulb as there are signs of the antifouling being worn.
The sun set, chasing away light to darker hues of colour. Presenting a whole spectrum of stars — each telling a story of its own. An hour or so past and then the most incredible changing of colour leading to moonrise. Over an oily sea, the gold of the moon, simply breath taking.
There are some awesome pictures to share. If you’d like to see, let me know and I’ll share a URL once settled for air on terra firma. Please share your thoughts on these warbled words of recent weeks. I’d love to hear how bad it is and little sense made.
[email protected] Stay safe. We’ve crept roughly 10 miles since lunch time. Onwards through the night. Bring the day and fresh filling trades.
Fair breeze, god speed and following seas.
Adam