Sunday 25 October 2015

First time to have white herons hitch a ride. Two of them on the bow rail, several miles from land, apparently forgot they're shore birds. The girl probably led her feckless paramour astray... that's what normally happens, right? (ouch! - the slings and arrows of outraged feminists) Boat isn't rolling much in the long, oily swell, but it's fascinating to watch birds with such long legs balance - like an upside down pendulum.

As last 2 days have been such a hoot decided to continue on to west side of Pulau Galang, tomorrow's planned destination. Having made good time, can make it by dark today, then 2 rather than 3 daysails to Puteri Harbour. Likelihood that smoke would get worse, temperature and humidity would increase and wind disappear had not gone into previous, now reevaluated, reckoning.

Having complained about no precipitation for 3 months we can finally find fault with new conditions: just enough occasional drizzle to cause deck crud to clump and visibility to decrease even more, but insufficient to rid atmosphere of heat or smoke. Recreational whingeing can be fun and mildly cathartic, but this could get out of hand.

"Down dropt the breeze, the sails dropt down, 'Twas sad as sad could be; And we did speak only to break The silence of the sea!"

"Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean." - Samuel Coleridge, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

Our world is tinged as strangled fringe upon a mirrored sea. We carry on, yet on and on, To 'scape this dread ennui. (iambic tetrameter?) - "The Doggerel of the Ancient Mariner"

There, I feel better now. How about you?

Jack