Questions and Answers for Billy

Ship's log

June 29, 2011

Lat 00 degrees 20 min N

Lon 138 degrees 12min W

Questions and Answers for Billy

1) Q: So tell us, William, now that Terrwyn has been at sea for over a month and the voyage for nearly 5 weeks... how is it going? I mean between you and Catherine?

B: OK thanks for asking. So far so good, never been better and better every week. Especially now that it's warm and we both "in the buff" as it were... 28 degrees in the cockpit and deck and 30 degrees below deck. We wear our double tethered life vest/harnesses above and below if on watch. Lots of fun. And now that we're that much safer with only a naked woman aboard, which is good and we got that going for us.

2) Q: OKK how about the sailing?

B: Funny you should ask... this morning is our best day yet. We're still under full jib and staysail and double reefed main sailing "on the wind"(as Gentlemen never go to windward" it fits. I've never been happier as barbarian in doctor's get up!) Yes, we're close hauled on port tack (60 degrees) doing 6.6 knots through the water and 7.6 kts on GPS (SOG, Speed Over Ground, cute bit is that the "ground" is 4,160 metres below the keel. sailors, at least me never trust those boat speed impellors but with the Equatorial Current it's all possible.Anyway, with the wind and spray off the bow and Terrwyn bobbing and weaving her way through the swells it feels like we are flying.

3) Q: Are you guys tired or bored? After all no land or other people for a month in a small boat!?

B: Are you kidding? N o way! Let me repeat myself for clarity Catherine is naked 24/7. Alright dress code aside Right I'll try to refocus. No boedom every day (and night) is different, learning every day (and night). For 4 or 5 hours/24 I must stand in the cockpit holding onto the Dodger at chest height and just watch Terrwyn's bow charge, rise, splitswoosh and toss the water aside as she flies along. I love this. It's like a combination of two images forever shiftin in my wee brain as my bottom half simply sways and counters the endless motion in the cockpit, occasionallyneeding to duck the odd spraya bucket of 28 degree water tossed to the aft.

It's like a little kid in a chest high ccounter with every candy imaginable right there laid out before his eyes. OR like a Roman Carioteer holding ontothe reins as he charges over the field in full flight. Seems a little far flung but honestly it is so exciting, fun and a little scary especially in the middle of the night but I love it. Mind you sleep deprivation is a little like being drunk.

3) Q: Billy, do you worry about anything?

B: Naaa...like what? Like being run over by a container ship? No...like running into a sleeping whale or lost container 6" below the waves- no. Likea chain plate or terminal failing and the rig falling over? No Like springing a leak in a through hull and sinking? No.Like falling over board and being dragged along the boat or having Monti sail away? No Like being rolled over from a wave on the beam? No. Like incapacitating seasickness in the scenario or an extra-seasonal gale or even hurricane? No, not really.

Sailing is so relaxing..!!! Just kidding - it is what it is and what we make it and I love it. Cathy and I follow our heros advice (Lin and Larry Pardey) and do our best to make the other look and feel good. And Terrwyn and this voyage is our dream and opportunity to do just that and it is such a blessing to have this opportunity that I focus on this and put the scary, horror stories to bed as foes we will deal with in another lifetime.

Meanwhile this is the time of our lives.

5) Q how were the Doldrums ?

B : Doldrums right missed - em . rats Looking back at the log a couple of 100 M days depite my best efforts swapping assymmetrical spinnaker for Driffter with or without apposing poled out Jib was fun sort of a cute "chute clinic" in the sun and with showers on deck and cool ones at happy hoiur no nasty all fun , In Fact not to give advice but to advise I recommend all sailing husbands to pick up a Driffer from Hasse's loft as an anniversary or birthday gift for your wife and a Spinnaker for Christmas for her so as you TOO are in position to wisk her through the ITCZ. very generous of the giver.

BUt thats all the time we have for now back to fiddling the sheets for that little etusive 0.1 knot Thanks for hearing me .

Yours ,

Billy the sailor want-a-be


Now from Cath:

I just got off the Pacific Seafarers Net after reporting our position and other info for their mariners roll call... great service and a really wonderful bunch of ham operators volunteering to keep tabs on we voyagers!! (A wee bit like our very own B.B.!! Thanks again for all your work on keeping our blog alive Gord!).

We are now truly in the South East Trades and enjoying some very constant winds to take us to the Equator tonight ETA being around midnight! As we sail closer and closer to the Equator we lowly Bottom Dwelling Scum Sucking Polliwogs (anyone who has not sailed over the Equator) will soon proudly bear the name of Shellbacks!! (We got this info from our Seafarers Net)... of course there are supposed to be all sorts of humiliating (though not abusive) ceremonies that happen but that is only if there is a Polliwog amongst our crew! AS it is we will celebrate with a beautiful bottle of the best champagne well chilled in our little icebox this afternoon...that we received as a bon voyage gift from our friends Mike and Allison Budd!

The winds (about 15 kts and the waves about 2 metres) pretty much on our nose makes for a fairly rocky and rolling ride). However, despite the constant motion I was determined to make some bread as the temp. in our galley reads 30 degrees C which is perfect for bread dough to rise - just sitting out on the counter! I made one loaf of white bread and had enough dough to make a nice 12" pizza with salami and artichokes for dinner tonight. It was so successful I think we will be making more soon!! The loaf of bread quickly disappeared with lots of grape jelly and strawberry jam... mmmm good!! Oh yes, and it went very well with the delicious seafood chowder with the final bits of the fresh tuna.

I have been practising on the ukulele most days and hopefully will have mastered some of the most popular songs by the time we get to the Marquesas... and it is hard to believe that we are within 20 nautical miles of the Equator and only a week away from our first landfall which will be Atuona on the island of Hiva Oa. Hard to believe that there is actually land in this massive water world of ours!!

Must go and check on that champagne!

Hope all is well with you

Fair Winds and love to all

Cath