SailBlog

Today, I am having a wonderful spring day, light winds, and Sun...Oh My God! it feels so indulgently exquisite to feel the warm sun on at least small areas of my skin!! It got up to 60* today...phew...it was so necessary!! But it is not to be a trend as a low is approaching in the morning.

For about an hour the winds were light and it was sunny...I got down to my bare feet and exfoliated some old skin...Especieally my feet. They stay somewhat soggy all the time...not sure why...but the cold makes everything absorb water no matter what. When my feet are cold, they always feel damp. So, I got out my kit and did a pedicure on deck...creams and oils....oh, it felt good. It is going to be an incredible thing, the first time it gets warm enough to actually take a bath...Other than the issue with exfoliating skin...I am actually managing though.

It is quite remarkable that offshore I don't stink from sweat at all, I mean when it is cold, the conditions when I don't bath. When it was warm, I had a bath daily, or even a swim when I was beating 'sea madness' at its own game. Now, I just brush my hair and loosely braid it. I have a spray bottle with leave-in conditioner in it mixed with water. When I dare get my head a bit wet, I saturate my hair with the spray and brush it through and it works great at fluffing my hair up. I have been a long time, 6-8 weeks without washing it and It gets a residue on it so that it feels oily but it manages fine like that. I use salt water for whatever sponge bathing I do.

It seems that only polar fleece does not get that wet cold soggy feel to it. Cotton pillow cases are just horrible, freezing cold and wet. Thank God for those heavy polar fleece covers of Bobs. They always feel dry and at least 'not cold'. They manage to stay at a moderate temp to feel. So I have covered all of my pillows with fleece...I used one of my fleece sweatshirts as a cover, stitching the arms around it and the bottom closed. What a difference it makes.

Today was a day when I just had to find a way to manage better with the cold. I rooted through and finally found my gloves with the fingers for using my phone. I decided to try wearing my hiking boots during the day...they seem to be a bit better..the cold comes through the sole of the rubber clogs and my feet freeze. I put on some fresh t shirts and layers. We will see. My strategy for packing really didn't work. I should have had a bag of socks and the odd things ilike gloves...I can't find a hat...I am wearing my hoody from Haiti as a layer so I have something to pull up over my head. I am still in awe that I managed to come out here without winter camping gear. There is such amazing gear out there and I am freezing at 50*...but tis true. I should have had my son Keel organize my warm clothes...He paddled a kayak the entire distance of the Columbia River, 1000 miles, in early spring, paddling and living well below freezing, below 20*f for the first 2 months...Ugh...And h e didn't freeze to death.

Truly, my plan to get back in shape at sea and 'regain 10 years of youth' is working amazingly well. I am quite amazed with the improvement overall in my back pain, neck pain, and general aches. Yes...when I climb the mast or some other activity like that, I end up with bruises where I brace myself off the shrouds and such, but overall, I am goin well. I feel stronger and more agile than I have in a very long time. I got out and did my exercises with the sun and flatter seas. I am up to 70 push ups during my workout and 20 at once...I could do more but I am progressing slow so as not to aggravate any joints or muscles. The Qi Gong is an amazing set of exercises for my neck and upper body. I add a series of exercises to stablize my rotor cuff that are working very well. My shoulders are doing much better working the winches, though I dare say that if I had to tack out of Bristol Harbor today, I would still be groaning the next day. Day sailing is another ballgame.

I had a good meditation day...Eckhart Tolle has a whole ideology about how our past emoitons and stress resides in what becomes a pain body...so it was a good read for today with exercising and feeling so stiff early on. Of courses, some is just related to being stiff and lack of movement here...but I identify with my pain as it has been an issue since I was a young child with joint and back issues ...so it is intersting to think that it is now part of my identity, being able to manage in pain. so...I am working on that today; to clear the identity of of 'enduring pain' and maybe I should be exercising gentler so as not to get so sore...I have always pushed myself so hard.

I spent a bit of the day reading a book, I have no idea where I got it, on single-handing...interesting perspective the author had on why folks solo, especially circumnavigate...He was pretty 'right on' with it all. It was quite historical...it was entertaining for a while.

In 2011, I had three grandchildren born all within 6 weeks, two just 4 days apart..So tomorrow, all three families are going to an inside waterpark at the GReat Escape near Lake George, NY for all their birthdays...Skylar, Charis, and Zavier...the three some all born the same year. Should be a fun day for them all. I will certainly miss being there, though living far away in florida, I often do miss these amazing events...I may not take them for granted when I return.

It was a Great huge Albatross day... half a dozen...just huge. There body colors are all very different from each other, unlike the Atlantic or classic Albatraoss that is so brown and white very distinctly... and a few Prions and other Petrels were out and about on the lighter winds. The huge flock will be back by tomorrow night with the gale force winds for sure. they love the gales.

Overnight , the wind is to calm again and then fill-in in the morning from due east then start to blow hard from the east with that front coming through so I am thinking about how to hove to for that first 12 hours as I don't want to sail that north or south. the second section of storm it backs to the NNE for the big winds. I should be able to sail that and make minimal southing...I am good to do a little...I would have better winds farther south at 44*S over the next week. I could have a good week next week, though winds are not steady in direction, they are 15-25kts and all from some westerly orientation or a sailable direction.

Winds are light and steady now...so I may take an early night nap when I can. later the winds are going to calm and shift, finally, by morn there will be light east winds, so I won't get any rest until the winds get east and I get hoved to or what ever I am going to do. With 30kts on the nose...I may just set as small a main as I can and keep moving but basically hove to. By then the winds will be backing some.

It is amazing how quickly it gets cold once the sun goes down. My spring day is gone...hopefully to come back again some day, not too far off, though it comes with the slack winds... a catch 22.

Keepin On Sailin on A Dream.... One day at a time...making my way along my path both on the water and in my conscious connection to a new way.

Fairest of Winds and the Love of the Oceans Only GRatitude, Donna

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