Day 2...Getting Settled in
01 August 2015 | 40 14'N:67 10'W, N 40* 14' W 67* 10'
Donna
I am speechless. Every day seems to unfold, not unlike on land...The demands of the sailboat...keeping on course, and managing everything that is in the process of breaking, still seems to drive me. The constant crashing of the boom and sails wallowing in 4 ft swellls with barely a breath of air...Yes..inspired insanity lives on. Last night was a fair night. The winds were consistent and I did get a little rest. but by 0500, liightning was bolting at the land to the west and the winds were shifting. It was a no show for the front liine but the winds died and veered to the northwest...then just variably have settled into a WSW flow. By 0700 I had gotten the whisker pole rigged. I still had to set up the length bolts so I had drills out, lines to be lead for downhaul and topping lift. Wing on wing began. The boom reefing system had a gliche. The tack line for the third reef seemed jammed. AS I let out reefs from the brisk winds overnight, I couldn't raise the sail all the way. So I tackled sorting it out. Turned out one line inside was not lead right. I stitched on a fish line so that I could refeed the reef line after I straightened it. but with all that still the reef tack line is too short. So I will have to jury rig a tack attachment...no big deal. The whole set up is still way easier than my old boom where everything, cleats and all were outside of boom. I got my plotting done before the Cruiseheimers net at 0830. I checked in and listened along. Breakfast was the usual mess of spills and rolling cups and pots sloshing uncooked whatever all over the place. With no wind and a swell, it just makes for messes. To some extent, the boat is the 'same ole', same ole'. I still managed to leave without a decent sitting space outside. I had all kinds of mental images after my sail north to RI of a comfy chair (like sv_Ananda) mounted ovver the cockpit combing...but it didn't materialize amidst the 'had to do's'. Every maneuver includes three rounds of the deck to untangle the line from whatever it wraps itself on in the process.
So far...the sea has been like land..I am tired, stressed, pressed, and annoyed by the banging. As I was sailing out of Bristol Harbor, the wind was slight and on the nose...It took 10 tacks to get past Poppasquash Pt. I was already crying and screaming profanities. what am I getting myself into. I hate to sail. It is just the most inefficint mode of transportation that exists. But the moment came that day when I stopped my mind ad started breathing. It got better. I started to get into the groove of tacking a bit and then on the way out of Nwport harbor into th big outer harbor, I even got in sync sailing along with some other day sailers. But soon they all turned back to harbor, and I kept going. One crew realized who I waas. I wish I could figure out how to get my photo off my phone to this blog. They just disappeared when I tried to download them...ugh.
So...eventually, I will breath...It is amazing how long I can holld my breath. I have done it all my life. BREATH, DONNA. AAhhhhh...BReath out for 8 until there is nothing left and I feel a vacuum...then i release my lungs to let the oxygenated air fill me. But only for 4...Breathing out blows off CO2, acid...the culprit of all stress and anxiety.
Each day holds its challenges. Today it was getting the whisker pole set up, fixing the boom, cleaning up after the sloshing food, then getting into the groove of dead reckoning myself along without the GPS. I have to keep a good log and plot the course and speed changes in distance. It is working though. I got a noon site today and I waas only 1.2nm off my dead reckoned position. Though it was from earlier in the morn...I haven't really made much progress since then.
0700 8-1 to 0700 8-2 138nm... I had brisk SW winds for the most part with some shifting. So far today, not so many miles on not so much wind. It will fill in. I hope it does before nightfall...There is no such thing as quiet on a sailboat unless you climb up on the foredeck and block it all out.
My task is to change my attitude and get past it all. I am safe. Eating fantastic food. Making my way through learning to navigate without the GPS. It is all good. It always takes quite a few days to calm down, let things break and fix what I can. There are a few things I managed to forget and hope to not need. (copper foil for new radio if I need it...
Tonight I will fish...Already yearning for some fish soup. thanks to all... Note all my wonderful business sponsors. If you have donated personally, Big hugs to you....It is so much appreciated. Keepin On, Sailin On, Dreamin On... Captain D