As yesterday gives way to morning, I'm snuggled in at the helm to begin my 3-hour watch -- hoping to protect this little grain of rice we're living on.
Yesterday morning (11/16) began as follows,
- Speed over ground of 0.6 kts
- Lifelines loose
- Mainsail car immovable
- Jib seams unraveling
- Boom extension close to dangling
- Gennaker caught on spreaders and ripped
- Miscellaneous 1/2' by 2' bolt on deck
- Running rigging loose and/or not screwed down
- Three very unhappy faces
So we did what any good crew would do -- we cursed up a storm about it. Then we put our three noggin's together and got to work. While the gentlemen made quick as lightening to tighten, re-bolt, investigate, and hammer away at things, we dropped the gennaker and immediately redesigned the cabin into 'Zoe's hand-stitching studio'. Propped in behind the main dining table, we overflowed the floor and counters with over 50 ft of sail, twisting and untwisting until said rip was located and accessible. Needless to say, at the end of an 18" tear, I became mighty familiar with the sailmaker's darn (or herringbone stitch). Thank God for waxed polyester sail twine and triangular shank needles!
It goes without saying that midday, morale was pretty low. There are days when things are tiring and slow, but then there are those where regret and resentment start creeping into your bones. Unable to view the challenge as momentary equilibrium, our struggles feel like obstacles and a 45 ft catamaran starts feeling like an excellent place to start going crazy. And so we gave ourselves a break.
And that's when the stationary bike came out. In the wobbling pitch of the swell, we took turns trying to keep balance and run our atrophied muscles ragged. If you can imagine a vessel rolling forward, surfing almost, atop stern swell then gliding back as the bow lifts before catching another wave, and being on a bicycle while its happening -- then you have the hilarious ridiculousness of our evening pegged. As if that wasn't enough, somewhere mid-workout, Ed fashioned his own hand-weights (using dive belts) to encourage core strength while we rode. Who would need their hands for balance in a situation like that anyhow?! Bill, on the other hand, suggested he'd worked out the hardest in taking a nap when he did. Jokers, these two!
Now that the day has passed, our once discouraging list has begun to look a little something like this:
- Speed over ground 7.3 kts
- Lifelines tightened
- Mainsail car thoroughly rinsed
- Jib seams on their way to repair
- Boom extension replaced and taught
- Gennaker mended and tucked into bed
- Boat scowered for miscellaneous bolt hole - still homeless
- Running rigging in proper order
- Two faces, hopefully with drool all over them by now(!),
and a third that's on it's way.
After a hard days work, and a harder days laughter, it dawned on us -- these are the days this trip is for. Uncorking L'Obsession's finest bubbly and raising our glasses to the night, we're grateful for another day.
Hope you're all happy and in good health.
Until next time and with love,
The crew of L'Obsession
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