Tecla crosses the Pacific

Water is rushing by. A silver moon lights up the ocean every chance it gets, in between the cloud cover of the night. The light is stunning, a bright white against a deep, dark black. Golden hour and sunsets may be beautiful and lovable, but this cold, harsh light feels magical. Especially after a few nights in complete darkness, without moon or stars.

We receive regular updates from Tecla, now underway from Galapagos to French Polynesia. Allways a great read, for more: see the website of the vessel.

Lines on a Chart, Stories at Sea

On our paper chart we are making our way southwest, next to the track of 2019. Gijs sailed this track, so we are racing each other with years in between. We are getting pushed a bit more westerly than the track of 2019. With winds still strong and sometimes variable, we are taking it as it comes.
On the chart computer we can see another track: the one we made last year, coming from Chile on our way to Tahiti, and finally making it as far as the Marquesas Islands. With only a 5-day difference, this is a year ago. Jasmijn and I were looking at each other this afternoon. It does not feel like a year. It feels more like two or three years; so much has happened in between. The adventures, the setbacks, the struggles — and now we are here. How lucky are we. Jasmijn and Michael sailed this voyage with me last year, and we just can’t believe our “luck” of being here again and sailing this voyage the way we are: the speed, the amazing team on board, and the weather.
In these lines next to each other on the paper chart, and the one crossing on the digital chart, there is a sort of poetry hidden. A story told not in sentences but in fixes, positions on a chart. A continuous stream of single words, or a stream of continuous memories.

Monday drill day

And on this Monday at sea, we made sure it was a memorable one as well. Starting with our stranded booby on the front deck. For a little while it looked like it was too weak to make it through the night. But by morning it started preening its feathers, and before noon it took flight and was recovered enough to wander off into the world again. Which gave us the picture of the day, won by Ben, with our Booby Roger or Roberta.. not sure.

Then there are the active watches as we follow the changing winds. Celestial sightings worked out today as the sun appeared between the tradewind cumulus clouds, followed by an abandon ship drill. All crew in our neon green survival suits within 4.5 minutes — not bad for a first go on a rolling ship. The temperature on board has gone down somewhat. Although the weather was nice and sunny today, temperatures are around 26 degrees in the shade; during the nights it goes down to 23 degrees, which makes me want to wear jeans for the first time in weeks. And did I really discuss wearing shoes with Tooske as we came on watch?

Source and pictures: Tecla, Jet Sluik

Windassist sponsor