Small Red Grouper

November 2

Awoke early for SSB weather, hope-to-make-it-a-habit exercise and breakfast (cereal to finish off rapidly ripening bananas). Scrubbed grunge from lifelines, recovered piles of sand and dust hippos from sole (not soul, Cal. It's the floor of the saloon (i.e. cabin, not a bar, except sometimes)) and spent balance of morning tediously picking out diminutive pebbles from razor cut soles (this one refers to boat sandal bottoms). Soles are clean; soul... well.

Besandwiched (not a real word) a little grouper caught for lunch, then continued various projects to improve (as if) below-decks arrangement. Also recommissioned watermaker and put additional markings on anchor chain. By departure time swell plus surface chop made retrieving motor and dinghy an adventure. Ten to twelve knot wind is, unfortunately, headed same direction as Anthem, so tacked north of rhumb for quieter, better ride. Speed over ground with following current, a tolerable 6 to 6.5.

Harvest moon is brilliant. Light sparkles off black water out to a sharply defined, encircling horizon. Milky Way and lesser stars are washed out, but one bright beacon (not red or close to western horizon, so probably Saturn) almost competes. Anthem's motion is busy, yet mostly gentle as swells roll under her transom and past, except occasionally when caught out of phase with the sea, she waggles like a duck shakes water from its tail before settling back into rhythm.

Jack