Paul's departure
08 January 2012 | Praia - Cabo Verde Isalnds
Picture: Vallentina, gourmet chef prepares home-made pasta.
My apologies to all for having let a couple of days slip by without writing but we have all been rather pre-occupied with the events around the boat. These things happen and we cope with them and then move on. But first lets get the chronological order correct. Drafted the other morning lets share this piece first.
Groping for my small pocket torch i shine it on my watch to see that it is five twenty five in the morning on our ships time. I am due on watch at five thirty and start to get ready. Its not too cold and only a light jacket and my safety harness go on over a shirt and short pants. The feeling is a bit surreal as my body clock has woken me without an alarm on time. Having sailed through three time zones since our departure from Cape Town our ships clock and the passage of the sun are out of sync. My conscience has followed our clocks but my body wants to wait for the sun to come up and start the day. Making my way to the cockpit Riccado is at the wheel steering with the wind from ahead as it had been since earlier. I take the man-over-board alarm from Enzo and wish him a good sleep as I step up next to Riccado to familiarize myself with the conditions. In two minutes I am ready and step in to the wheel as he steps out to go on standby and have a break.
The wind is around twenty knots with a swell of two and a half to three meters while the boat is doing eleven knots. The sky that had some clear patches last nigh is now completely overcast and the waning moon set a while ago so it is very dark. Checking the course on the compass and watching the wind angle I hold the boat steady as I can whilst hurtling into the black abyss. It's too dark to see the waves so one tries to feel the and not let the boat slam over them but to feed it over in a steady motion. The wind angle is fluctuating a bit as well as arriving in gusts during which the speed surges to over twelve knots. As the speed surges so does the adrenaline and I one with the boat, barefoot on the teak deck I can feel it's every movement like a heart beat. Unexpectedly Riccardo stands up and says that it is time to wake Vittorio for his watch. In disbelief I check the time with him as I can not believe that I have been at the wheel for an hour and a half. Time is not relevant when so occupied and frightfully busy with something you are enjoying and is giving purpose to your being. Vittorio comes into the cockpit smiling as always and is anxious to take the wheel right away. I sit down taking a long drink from my water-bottle and assume the standby position keeping an eye on the surrounding conditions. I watch the sky waiting for the new day to arrive as I relish my surroundings and our progress on Mrs. Marietta's maiden voyage.
For the past few days we have been seeing sargasso weed floating on the surface. It first appeared as small pieces and then gathered into larger mats between one and two meters square. Now however with the stronger wind from the north it is being blown into long lines that stretch across the surface of the sea, sometimes I can not even see the end of the line.
The weather has not followed the forecasts that we have been getting and the wind is a lot stronger than expected. Taking this into account together with low fuel levels we decide to make for Praia on the southern most of the Cabo Verde islands.
We were to pass close to the west of Santiago so there is little change to our heading and it becomes possible to enter the harbour and anchor for some shelter.
So here we are anchored in the harbour area of Praia where as is so often in remote places nothing happens over the weekend. We have busied ourselves with general maintenance and preparation for the next leg whilst waiting to get fuel tomorrow morning. Our position on the aprs beacon is 14 deg 54.6 min and 023 deg 30.3 min reflects this.
Thanks to Vittorio for a contribution to today's blog.
Vittorio:
Ieri ore 23 :30 ora locale è arrivato il taxi per portare Paolo e Riccardo in aeroporto per rientrare in Italia.
L'attesa è stata lunga e triste per tutti, per sdrammatizzare abbiamo visto un film "Taxxi 1", Luca mio figlio vede sempre con molto piacere, centrato sulle corse delle auto. Quando il suo taxi si è presentato in banchina, Paolo che proprio non voleva abbandonare la barca, ha chiesto al taxista se poteva ritornare dopo mezz'ora. Si percepiva che oltre la sofferenza fisica, mentalmente non voleva abbandonare l'idea di completare il viaggio di rientro. Paolo è un amico speciale, uno con cui si sogna, si ride, si scherza anche in situazioni più o meno drammatiche. Paolo è stato lo spirito del gruppo, che voi tutti avete percepito. Personalmente avere Paolo al mio fianco era riuscire a sognare al di sopra della mia immaginazione. E' stato sicuramente decisivo nella scelta di partire. Non vorrei diventare troppo triste e romantico ma per me, alcuni amici, come mia moglie Serena conosce bene, sono molto importanti, Paolo è uno di quelli.
Per me, il bello di intraprendere delle avventure è riuscire a capire le priorità della vita. Riesco a rivalutare i rapporti familiari che nella vita di tutti i giorni si offuscano dalla contingenza giornaliera. Vivere il mare mi rinforza la voglia di stringere tra le braccia Serena mia moglie, andare a vedere una partita di palla a nuoto di mio figlio Luca, o una gara della mia splendida figlia Giulia.
Chi mi conosce sa che ho scritto già troppo.
Paolo buon rientro, non ti preoccupare ci sono sempre per te amici che aspettano di passare lo stretto navigando e contemporaneamente sognando.
Baci
Vittland