Oct 25 all at sea
25 October 2019
Isabel Bliss
Sail trim and weather consume us but there's still plenty of time on our hands. Ever cheerful Jim is always humming busily away, learning, doing, making Ham radio calls to other operators as far flung as Iowa, and as near as Norfolk Island.
I'm not feeling as industrious. The exceedingly empty, endless blue is pleasant to the eye but is beginning to wear thin. Ennui and lassitude overcome me for a few hours. I need to walk! I want to garden! It all feels horribly boring - although, as in an airplane at 40,000', better boring.
And overall I know it's pretty "sweet as" amazing to be out on such a fine, jolly craft as Sonsie with a mate who came perfectly trained for the mission with his navigation, meteorology, communication and trip planning skill set complemented by his mechanical and technical know-how and passion for finding solutions. Plus it's pretty incredible that we're able to afford, financially and time-wise, this journeying.
There's the constant motion and concomitant balancing act required at all times. Sometimes it's massive effort minute by minute to stay on guard and well braced in order to prevent oneself getting catapulted across the cabin. But other than that there isn't much exercise to be had. I go to the bow to sit and pitch up and down, watching the blue water stream and bubble under and away.
There were perhaps, when the sea was not as over-fished, more seabirds to watch. We consider ourselves fortunate when we spy some small, agile storm petrels fly by, around, and alongside Sonsie. Our little friends skim the surface of the water with a small bounce as they touchdown to snatch whatever it is they find tasty from the surface. They're like small aircraft practicing many touch and go's. They pass again and again swooping along the swells, enviously able to enjoy every dip and rise, every sigh of the sea.
To quell the boredom I start filling in the Small Craft Arrival paperwork for detail-hungry Australian Customs. No info is too small; they require amongst other things, a thorough description of the vessel and its gear, an account of the ship's stores and alcohol, a complete electronic equipment list including the serial numbers of everything on the boat, etc. Their forms are like an insurance application ! (NZ vessel entry paperwork asks for sensible info like AIS number, marine radio call sign, and last haul out date!)