Jeff's Log ~ Thursday, April 10th, 2008

Thursday, April 10, 2008 31 16.248N 108 49.267E

We are motoring in very light breeze on the nose, and calm seas. That has been the story since leaving Singapore. The night before last, I saw the Southern Cross for the first time. We are on Scott’s famous five man watch system that works 4 on 4 off, 4 on 8 off. The eight hours off go very quickly, and there are always a couple of short naps that make everything ok. The Southern Cross is a relatively small constellation, but impressive to see just the same. As it rises and sets, the cross always points south, so it moves in a very small part of the sky.

There are shrimp and squid fishermen scattered about, and their bright lights look like small cities when they are just over the horizon. Last night, about 2 AM, we passed within a mile of one, and the boat was lit like daylight. The boats are small, low, and made of wood, so they do not leave a radar signature until they are within three miles. About six or seven miles to starboard (that’s off to the right) seems to be the major shipping lanes, and there is pretty much always a freighter or two in sight. At night, that makes the time on watch go by fairly quickly. I like to be the first to notice the range lights in the distance.

The new stabilized binoculars work very well and make it easier to sort out which way a vessel is going when there are confusing lighting arrays. We also have a night vision scope on board that I use frequently when on watch to check for floating debris. It is also cool to look through when dolphins are around at night, because of the phosphorescent trails that they leave. With the night vision, it is very similar to the streamers from a jet fighter’s wing that you see during the air show. If there is a large enough pod of dolphins, it is quite the light show.

Scott’s guests, Bill and Donna are just great to have on board. They both have a great sense of humor, and we all spend a good deal of time chuckling at the jokes and stories that we share. They also seem to really appreciate what Mark and I do for them and the boat, and they are always offering to help with the chores.

Yesterday, Scott and I were on watch the 4 to 8Am shift, and at around 7:30 or so, I spotted a fairly large sea snake just ahead of us. Scott kicked off the autopilot and turned the boat around. I dashed below and got my camera. We were treated to the snake, which appeared to be about five feet long, swimming right up to the boat before it turned and dove down. I got some really excellent photos of it on the surface. When it dove, we marveled at the clarity of the water, as we could see it clearly for about 30 or 40 feet down.

We are all hoping for some sailing breeze right now. This boat under engine alone is just plain boring. Last night we had a favorable breeze for a little while, and Scott and I hustled to take the awning down and set the main. After a short motor-sail, the wind lightened and clocked back to the nose, so we dropped the Main and became a motor boat once again. In Singapore, I did manage to put new bearings in the main halyard turning block at the base of the mast. This was the first time the main has been used since, and it went up and down much smoother and quieter than it was. Little things like that make me feel proud, and they also make Scott smile, and that’s important too. Things are always better when the boss is happy.