Backlog of Stories From Sea

Here´s a few journal entries I wrote at sea during our journey from Canouan Island to Panama!

26.12.06

I´ve been waiting to sail away into a sunset my whole life and finally, I´ve actually done just that.















¨Ciao Canouan¨ we shouted at the rapidly disappearing land mass, and turned west to stare at the infinite open ocean. I swallow it all up like a whale. I am hungry for adventure on the high seas. Captain Laurent has assured me that I will be a proper sailor in a couple of weeks, and I am determined to meet every challenge head on. Is there any other way to live?

Tonight I will experience my first watch shift. Each is 2 hours long, which gives you 4 hours sleep at a time if there are 3 members of crew. As we are six people at the moment we will only need to do 1 or 2 shifts a night, however tonight we are watching in pairs for training purposes. Laurent will be taking the watches with me.

==============================================================================

27.12.06

We took the last watch at 6am, but I was so tired, almost sick with fatigue, that I could barely appreciate my first sunrise at sea. Soon after the orange sun rose over the horizon a small squall possed on our port side and we were caught in an impromptu rain shower lasting only 3 or 4 minutes. I took the opportunity to take a ´natural´shower and stripped off quickly to make the most of the fresh water from the heavens! Our onboard fresh water is limited to necessities only (this does not include washing) so I am already a salty sailor girl!

After a much needed short nap I woke at 11am and was stunned by the blinding sun in a dazzling clear blue sky. Unfortunately not much wind so progress was going to be a lazy leisurely affair today. I joined the girls, Isabelle and Albane on the trampoline at the bow of the catamaran and settled down to some serious tanning action accompanied by a good book. Ah. Sailing is so hard!

I don´t think I have found my sea legs yet. I am stumbling around like a drunken penguin.

28.12.06

My watches last night were at 10-12pm and 6-8am. The sunrise this morning was beautiful. I was still a zombie but even my dopey eyes popped open wide in wonder at the golden explosion on the horizon.

I have no idea what I did with the rest of this day. Laurent sent me running around the boat to give him readings and information that he didn´t even want, because he thinks I need more ´sport´ to keep from becoming fat and slow like a sea slug. (Exercise is hard when you have no balance and no space to make any wrong moves!) No, actually, he was training me how to become familiar with the gagdets and gizmos onboard.

I cooked chicken pasta with tomato and cream sauce for dinner. It was fab.

Laurent and I had first watch at 8pm. However he fell asleep inside his cabin and I didn´t have the heart to wake him up so I was a brave sailor and went about my duty all alone in the dark night!!

(Later, however, I slept in for well over half of our watch at 4am, so as far as I´m concerned, we´re even now!)

======================================================================

29.12.06

We caught a big fish today. Looked a bit like a barracuda. Fish for dinner then. It really was an education. My first ever fish murder. We dragged it out of the sea, all writhing and twisting, whacked it onto a cutting board and swiftly decapitated it with my big shiny new knife. Thick arterial blood pumped out all over the board and the deck around, and the poor bastard was still wiggling when Laurent sliced it open from gills to tail. Naturally, more bloood splattered everywhere and we chucked the fish head back into the ocean. I´m sure it gave me a reproachful look on the way back in.

Panama: The Civilised Side

We are happily moored in a lovely marina, having successfully travelled through the famous Panama Canal from the dirty and dangerous city of Colon, which is the Caribbean side, all the way through to the shining waters of the Pacific Ocean and Panama City.

Colon was right out of an old latino gangster movie. Dusty, decrepid streets somehow clinging onto a memory of their past glamour like an old photo. Looking up at the faded balconies that overhang each street I could imagine a time when their facades were bright and proudly filled with rambling hanging flowers and exotic pot palms, where people would sit for an apperitif and watch the world go by. I enjoyed wandering around for 15 minutes, but I was highly aware of my alien status and the dire warnings not to walk alone on any quiet street, or dress expensively lest you be attacked in broad daylight!

So, the canal crossing... what an experience. I wondered at times if I was dreaming as I pulled on ropes with all my strength to hold the boat stable in the powerful current generated by the lock system. We were tiny in comparison to some of vessels that crossed with us, and the object of attention from two day cruise boats packed full of American tourists which were nested alongside us. I felt like a celebrity with all these people waving and shouting and snapping photos! Ha! When we finally passed through the final lock, and I saw the Pacific for the first time, I was so excited! Wow, what an achievement!































We´re staying in this marina for a couple of days to chill out and prepare the boat for the coming journey to Costa Rica and Mexico. I think I will walk along the promenade now, and watch the sun set with a nice cold beer! Cheers!