Send me on my way

It should be noted that this blog post should be read whilst listening to Rusted Root's "Send me on my way". Great tune.
The water in the kettle is coming to a boil this morning and I am looking forward to dipping Samira's biscotte (sp?) in my decaf coffee. Jugurtha "found" the biscotte this morning in his duffle. It appeared to have been nibbled on for a couple of days. I'd like to think that shame eventually made him dragged the partially eaten loaf out and share with us poor bastards.
It is Thursday and we are still heading NNE around 12 degrees true at 7.7 knots with bursts into the 8s. Our angle to the wind is 55 degrees. Swell is around 3 foot with a period of 6 seconds or so. Wind waves are 2 foot chop. Pretty comfortable actually.
Late night Jugurtha and I had the 2100-0000 watch and the wind was off and then on. We motored for one hour or so. A couple of squalls pasted over us and it rained some. Refreshing warm rain. Once those clouds past, the wind filled back in and we took off. Been sailing ever since.
The crew is doing well with seasickness nothing but a bad memory in the rearview mirror. We are slowly getting into our routine. We have another 2 weeks, that's right TWO WEEKS to go and it takes awhile for that to sink in.
I have resolved to give up swearing and have been doing OK at it. Amazing how much of my language has been populated by "colorful euphemisms". Well no more. I hit my foot on a winch yesterday and said "Jeepers" instead of the usual string of words that would make a US Navy sailor cry.
No fish caught but then we weren't dragging any lines.
The days are sunny and warm. The water is very warm. I have been on the bow in my swimsuit, desperately wishing my Benny was with me to partake in the thorough splashing/take down the waves administer while Appa bashes home. I miss my family!!!
Ben is on Sand Dollar now helping them get the boat from Hood Canal to their homeport in Seattle. I love the fact that he and I are at sea together. It is a small connection but a connection nonetheless.
My deceased father's birthday is coming up. I'll be at sea and it seems fitting somehow. He always wanted to be out here, doing something like this but cancer got to him first...
My step-father's birthday is coming up and he is very much alive. You can't pick your parents or even your step-parents but I got very lucky with my bio Dad and my step-dad. I am really looking forward to his birthday party in August.
Boat stuff. The wind instrument is slowly dying meaning we are unable to have the computer drive the boat using wind angles. Crazy right?!? It is one year old and I replaced it only because I didn't want the old one to die on us. Joke is on me...as usual. We can still have the computer drive by compass heading so it is all good.
We had a batten in the mainsail tear itself out of it's cozy home. Dropped the sail and repaired that.
Pete was on watch two nights ago and had me get up to verify something. He swore that he saw a signal flare off our starboard bow. This is 4 in the morning. I got up and saw something but really couldn't say what it was. Jeremy was then woken and a new pair of eyes studied the situation. After about 5 minutes, we decided it was Venus rising. The clouds can play tricks. That and flares don't last for 20 minutes usually.
Just before we left Hawaii, I allowed Rachelle to use the shower in my cabin so she could catch her flight all refreshed. I then promptly forgot to shut off the valve that drains the shower. The shower drain has a one way valve but it leaks a bit. So the boat filled up with 60 gallons of water as we were leaving Hawaii. Maybe not 60 but I pumped on the bilge pump for a while to clear the water. Dumb. Luckily the water didn't do anything to the food we have stored in the bilges. Just wet cans. My tools are cleaned in salt water now so I have to clean them up a bit but nothing big. Just dumb.
The waves have been on the beam and it has been a wet ride at times. Once in awhile the waves will be at the right angle and the boat heeled as such that the resulting spray is enormous and a wall of salt water crushes us in the cockpit. Usually right after a fresh water shower has been taken by a crew member.
Pete broke a mirror in the forward bathroom and about an hour later got doused by a wave. Bad luck? He was incredulous that Appa has glass mirrors. Hell, we have porcelain sinks. It is a French boat.
Nothing else to report. I am going to have my coffee now.
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