75 miles to the equator
14 November 2010 | southern Kiribati
Kathy
This morning at sunrise I was surprised to see an old friend, the Big Dipper! I didn't realize that it's possible to see BD with the morning star in between it and the Southern Cross! And the morning star was so bright that a half hour earlier in the still inky black darkness, I thought it was a ship! There was a ship on the port side 9:00 at 8 miles, which I was able to hail them but they didn't speak any English. So when I saw the bright light on the starboard side at 5:00 I thought, how amazing, 2 ships on opposite corners. Guess we've been out here a while now since the moon is already marching on past half full.
I'm reading a book called Morgan's Run, about the first shipment of convicts that set sail from Plymouth, England to Botany Bay, AUS. To think of the magnitude of several ships, loaded with prisoners, marines, and all sorts of animals without water, electricity, and heads is just abominable. And to think of those old ships as being leftover slavers is even more horrifying, for the inhumane treatment that it's a miracle anyone survived, and to what? Slavery. Then when I look out over the horizon and see how this ocean just stretches on and on, not even able to comprehend it's depth while looking at its' breadth as far as the eye can see and try imagining how the Polynesian, Micronesian, Melanesians traveled in their open canoes, loaded with coconuts and pandanus, I'm really blown away. This is a luxury cruise by all means, and thank goodness for that!
It looks like we're just about 75 miles south of the equator now, which means we will pass it tonight, on my late night watch. That will be our 4th crossing in 2 years. Anyways, we're hopeful to be to Majuro by Friday morning, ready to make my standard arrival wafffles in celebration! Can't wait!