Canada

Friday 1 July 2022

Happy birthday Canada.

Wind returned as we left convergence zone, but from west requiring change to port tack in easy conditions. New air mass is noticeably cooler. Wind expected to gradually increase and be tolerably sporty with two plus meter sea by tomorrow evening and Sunday. Possible motoring a few days later. Otherwise a milk run with consistent, mild wind. Gardner McKay in his leaky Tiki never had it so good.

Different tacks are surprisingly dissimilar and have different ambiance. Some boats are more congenial on one than the other. Lying down is more comfortable back to leeward, so sleeping is on opposite side against different surface, often either sidewall (10cm wide beam against lower back in my bunk) or leecloth (much better). Bracing is necessary to dress or do anything, so different solid surfaces must be found to lean against. Drinks are put down to stay in place on different surfaces and slop over into crevices where you'd rather not have to clean. Hand holds are never in the right spot so different techniques for moving about are learned. Shower may drain one way, but not the other. Reaching to bottom of fridge may be harder facing uphill and more precarious facing down. Items that are secure on one tack go walkabout on the other. Eating is a stunt requiring one hand to keep plate from sliding and level, two hands to eat and another to hold a drink. And toilets.. don't even go there (in a manner of speaking).

Passages get into a rhythm after a few days when everyone finds his niche. After a week or so you think you've been doing the same thing forever. That ignores, of course, the occasional mechanical or meteorological contretemps, but those are mere distractions from your arbitrary routines (again with the oxymoron).

Jack & Jan