Day 13

Friday, July 18, 2008

The sun exists! It did, anyway, for a few hours this afternoon. We were so excited after four days of fog that we all got on deck, took pictures, and put up some more sail to get cooking towards Ireland. Sam and his prodigy Captain Patrick even got some sun sights. The fog has filled in again to our dismay but is thinner than before so we are holding out hope. In the fog, we logged two consecutive 200-mile days and now have only about 500 nautical miles left in our voyage - less than a Bermuda race! Even now, as the breeze has died down, we are still cruising at almost 8 knots.

Stuart mused that Barra will reject her dock lines in Ireland and insist on continuing to sail, she loves it that much. The dolphins appear to be as curious about us as we are of them and consistently swim by to check us out, putting on a show of jumping or playing with their friends in the bow wave. The most spectacular at night, we follow their phosphorescent trails as they dart off and then weave back into the pod. The best show is witnessed when the dolphins coincide with our sailing through a school of fish- it looks like the paparazzi is underwater all around us with flashes of green. Even in the daylight, we can’t get enough of the sea life. Patrick and Sam have spotted a new species of bird, which we have yet to identify. This morning Stu yelled down, “You have GOT to see this!” We all ran up on deck to see hundreds of dolphins and giant tuna thrashing up the water and jumping clear out of the waves into the air off the starboard bow.
With a lack of other major events, the ship has turned into quite the library. The favorite book so far is David Sedaris’s “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim,” read by half the crew. The salon/living room has become an increasingly social space and we really are turning into a family. Blogging has in fact become a daily highlight with input from all involved, (the Meet the Crew section was an especially social event). We are exploring the depths of our musical selection, from sea chanteys to bluegrass, and have been pleasantly surprised on all accounts. Any Irish-sounding jigs have marked popularity the nearer we draw to the land of the leprechauns. Recent culinary adventures (adding to Barra’s festive air) include apple bread, tortilla pizzas, scrambled egg breakfasts, meatballs, and teriyaki stir-fry. Tonight we are cooking the much-anticipated Linda Lasagna, and the excitement is tangible in everyone’s faces. Temperatures continue to drop and strategic layering is required for night watch in the fog. We are on to our second tub of hot chocolate, and hope the supply will hold out because it is consumed more often than water. Last night the boys declared the first movie night and watched a Clint Eastwood western. Peeking down the companionway at the three of them nestled in front of the TV it would be easy to forget they were on a boat at all instead of a friend’s couch. On the docket for tonight, The Last Waltz. As we went down to just one freezer this afternoon, the DVD player has been deemed an appropriate use of the extra amp hours.

Love to all at home, and pray for more sun! Thanks for reading and keep an eye on that horizon,
The Barra Crew