The big delivery

Night Watches
Now that I've graduated from Cookie to Cook/Deckhand, I had a quick lesson in raising the mainsail - Ian, our resident educator, gave clear and logical instructions which left me confident to do it myself next time. With 3 onboard we elected to do 2 hours on and 4 hour off shifts as we motor sailed north. Conditions were mild with only a light wind heading us and occasionally assisting when it had a bit of westerly in it. Shortly after midday while Ian was on watch, our first mate took on a ghastly shade of grey to his features and it was all downhill for him. Ok with Hans and I alternating shifts and from then on I really felt I was earning my place onboard.
Fortunately, Hans has fine tuned "Otto" the autopilot so he is doing an excellent job holding our course ever northward. With only the occasional tweak to avoid looming rocks or trim the sail, I'm happily left to enjoy the night watches. And what a night of fairy lights it was! Coming up to Nambucca Heads the shoreline burst into a fantasia of colour with fireworks filling the port bow. Then whilst gazing at the white wake phosphorescence sparkled like gems and all the while a distant electrical storm illuminated the clouds on the far horizon.
It's very easy to stay awake with so much to track. Warning beacons and radio towers wink a red eye, lighthouses blink their identifying beam, trawlers lit up like Christmas trees beat a hasty return with violent headlights, and then there are the constellations steadily moving from east to west. Scorpio dips below the shore as Taurus sits high and Venus so bright that it sends a reflection from the horizon to our vessel and the crescent moon smiles as it warns a hillside.
All too soon dawn breaks and we are rewarded with 2 whales between us and the shore, the super white underside of one dazzling in the morning light.
But all it not poetry and lyrical word smithing. Hans is dealing with a blocked toilet. He's a brave man and all on his own with that one...