A very happy birthday (part 7)
Thursday June 9th
I had a lovely dawn watch this morning, calm and peaceful in the morning sun, what a great way to usher in my 47th birthday. At some stage during the last hour of my watch we passed the half way mark in terms of distance covered — 1,054 nautical miles covered, 1,051 nautical miles to go to Rapa.
I read Kim’s birthday card early this morning, and the story in it that was my present blew me away — so subtly expressive and so well written. I penned a response later in the day (as her’s was pen on paper, it seemed like the way to respond), to be posted from Rapa.
I had the afternoon off, and after writing spent some time preparing and cooking our dinner for this evening, a potato gratin — thanks Urs — which all things considered (small kitchen rolling around in the waves, with minimal ingredients to hand) turned out to be rich, perfectly flavoured and delicious, if I don’t mind saying so myself. A great birthday meal.
Joe baked a rhubarb and apple tart, and the guys called me early off evening watch into a candle lit cabin, with the tart on the table and the tune “Celebrate” playing on the stereo… it was so heart-felt and lovely, I laughed and laughed. [Video]
I also paused to make a wish before blowing out the candle, or more of an intention really. What spontaneously came to me was: “I live the rest of my life in joyful gratitude”… nice! Now to do it!
Just as I was getting ready for bed, Joe shouted in from watch that the sea had brought me a birthday present. I went out to look, and a phosphorescent squid had been stranded on the forward deck… although dead already it glowed blues and pinks and purples… a bit sad really, but it did add significantly to the number of creatures we had seen since we left land.
Friday June 10th
I awoke this morning to the thought “who took the wind” even before I was fully conscious. On watch there was almost no wind, and almost no birds, and definitely no albatross.
Not much to report for today, other than with the wind so low, Joe was able to start fishing off the stern of the boat as we motored along. Nothing caught yet.
The voyage to Rapa Iti
- Part 1 — Introduction
- Part 2 — Auckland to Tauranga shakedown trip
- Part 3 — Leaving New Zealand
- Part 4 — Trying to get into the swing of things
- Part 5 — Action stations!
- Part 6 — Now we’re sailing
- Part 7 — A very happy birthday
- Part 8 — Action stations again!
- Part 9 — Whales
- Part 10 — A day with a bit of everything in it
- Part 11 — The sky is on fire
- Part 12 — Almost there
- Part 13 — Land ho!
