Day 16 - Our Bodies At Sea
13 April 2016 | 4 11'S:131 01'W, On Passage, Mexico to French Polynesia
Mark & Deanna
Days at sea completed: 16
Distance sailed in the last 24 hours (nm): 175 Distance sailed total (nm): 2100 Distance to go until French Polynesia, as the crow flies (nm): 584
Wind Speed & Direction (knots): ESE 15-20 Waves (ft): SE 4
--- See the map on our blog for our current location---
MARK: We are flying, really flying! We are well into the southern trade winds and they are blowing strongly at 15-20 knots plus giving positive current. We covered a whopping 175 miles in the last 24 hours with the wind on our stern quarter. I am pretty sure that is a record for us.
Has it been that comfortable on board? No. The waves are settling more into a rhythm now, but for the first half of the day they were of the size that rocks us swiftly from side to side, while pounding on the bridge deck underneath our salon. It's a strange thing with our cat, and I suspect with others, bigger seas as much more comfortable than smaller seas.
If this wind holds up, or at least doesn't drop too much, we are looking at landfall in Hiva Oa late at night on the 16th, or early on the 17th. Earlier I thought the 18th, but we have covered so much ground since then that it would have to go very light for that to happen. OopsÉ. Hope I didn't curse us!
I don't mind arriving early on the 17th because there is nothing better than seeing the land come up over the horizon during daybreak. I remember that on our way to Hawaii. But, we'll take whatever we get. I can't wait to sleep on a boat that isn't creaking, groaning, rocking, and pounding. I can't even remember what that is like! The only drawback of landfall is that I will have to share my bed with Deanna again. It's kind of hot and I have really enjoyed spreading out and taking any cooling air all for myself. I hope that she doesn't read thisÉ
DEANNA: What are the effects of this offshore passage on our bodies?
We have "boat bites" (aptly named by Virginia Gleser on s/v Harmony). Mark stubbed his toe and keeps re-stubbing it, and his hands are nicked and cut from fix-it jobs. I have a permanent, counter height, hip bruise from leaning in when I fridge dive. Our feet are starting to recover from the squalls (see photo).
Our skin is brown. As a melanoma survivor, I cover up. We both wear hats and long sleeved sun shirts, and we're well covered from direct sunlight by Speakeasy's large cockpit cover. However, the sun's reflection off the water has been impossible to avoid. We haven't burned, but it's been easy to get red quickly.
We haven't developed biceps of steel. Although sailing can be a strenuous physical activity, it's not on a cruising catamaran. The power winch hoists and trims the sails with the push of a button. We grind - rotate a handle in a circle like crazy - only infrequently when we fly the spinnaker in light air. Mark exerts more physical effort with the sails: he's lean and he looks great, but no Popeye!
We're heading toward six pack abs. Speakeasy's constant motion works the core. I feel my abs engage as the helm chair rolls from side to side. As we grab hand-holds, balance and steady ourselves 24 hours a day, our muscles get a workout. Even in bed, muscles flex to stop us from flinging side to side; assuming the starfish position is the only way to go!
Leg muscles are weakening. I walked to the bow yesterday and my legs felt shaky. We walk less than 200 steps a day; although I hoped to do regular strength training and yoga, I haven't had energy, except for some stretching.
We're fatigued from being on the helm. Thanks to technology, the autopilot steers the boat; in fair conditions, it does all the work. When conditions are rough and changing, intense mental focus is required to assist the autopilot handle the wind and wave state. For instance, I just drove Speakeasy through a rain squall where the winds increased from 15-25 knots in seconds and came from all directions. It's dark. I'm wet and my nerves are frazzled. And the effect is cumulative as I'm already tired from the first four hours of my night shift.
Not getting enough sleep has been the biggest effect on our bodies. Mark is in a constant state of fatigue: he gets less than five hours of sleep nightly and rarely more than three hours of uninterrupted sleep. I sleep more and nap easily, about 6 hours in a 24hour period. However, I'm fatigued due to a lack of restful sleep. It's feels normal to awake in a start with my heart racing. Meditation. sleep music and earplugs can't erase the fact that we're trying to sleep in a noisy, motion-filled, sometimes stressful environment.
On the up-side, we fully expected these effects, and the fatigue is far less than the exhaustion we experienced on our passage to Hawaii. For the most part, we're enjoying the passage, and the effects on our bodies will be forgotten a few days after landfall. Offshore ocean passages are physically and mentally challenging, no doubt. But in the big picture, they're a small portion of the experience and a small price to pay for the amazing adventures that lie ahead.