As of today, Monday May 26th, it has been exactly one month since I left Vancouver, BC to join Nirvana on her voyage to the South Pacific. Seeing as up to this point the entirety of my "sea faring" experience has consisted of hour and a half rides on the BC super ferries, I really had no idea what to expect. I never thought of myself as the high-maintenance type of girl, but this trip has challenged that notion. I realized that my ideas of what qualifies as edible, comfortable, clean, or dry were going to have to change if I was going to make it to the Marquesas. The movement of the boat makes even the simplest task so much of a challenge that it goes beyond frustrating right to hilarious watching each other try to do things that would normally take little to no thought.
I've also learned a fair bit about sailing. Don't get me wrong, I by no means consider myself a competent sailor, but I've at least gone from having no idea what the rest of the crew is talking about to having a vague understanding of what is going on.
Here are a few things that I have learned on my longest (and shortest) sailing trip:
-Despite what anyone says, having a bird poo on your face sure doesn't SEEM lucky.
-If you're going to be hit by a wave, it will be at the beginning of your night watch rather than at the end of it. Or as soon as you've gotten yourself comfortably set up in a beanbag with a book.
-Beanbag chairs are an essential part of sailing gear.
-Flushing the "head" should count as cardio.
-Starboard tack doesn't exist - there have been rumors, but so far I have seen no evidence to support that it does.
-Flying fish are to boats as bugs are to windscreens.
-The water isn't always rough, but when it is, it prefers that Gary is trying to cook at the time.
-The most accurate depiction of life at sea is in Mel Brooke's Dracula Dead and Loving it (youtube the scene where Dracula's coffin is being shipped to England).
-When in doubt, don't try to use your face to break your fall.
-Finally, there is nothing that compares to how blue the ocean is offshore, how incredible the stars are on a clear night, how awe-inspiring it is to to see nothing but the ocean in any direction, or how incredible it is to be surrounded by dolphins at night, with only their bioluminescent trails visible.
Today, we continue to charge full-speed ahead, fueled by PB&Js and gingerale. With Hiva Oa less than 200 miles away, I can't say I'm not eagerly awaiting the chance to get back on land. But I can say that Nirvana's crossing has been the most uniquely challenging and rewarding adventure of my life so far, and I am truly grateful that I have been given this opportunity!
Angela
Angela,
ReplyDeleteThat was very well said. You're an excellent writer and should do more of this. Sailing is an infection that is hard to get rid of and easy to live with. I hope you and Harry and the crew enjoy your last day of passage and all my best to Gary. Well done!
Wonderful reading your post, Angela. Well done on your first passage.
ReplyDeleteI agree, you write very well.
Congratulations, Angela!! I can't say I would have done as well on that long a passage. My first time out to sea was also on Nirvana. I soon realized that she could handle anything, the question was, could I. I did surprisingly well. Once when Mark came below decks to see if I was doing alright, he found me, headphones snuggly perched on my ears, watching a movie on my macbook pro in the main cabin. That cabin is soooooo comfortable. We did not have the vents, however, and with the hatch covered and the door closed it was a bit like being in a torpedo! There were times when the seas were rough that we wound up sleeping sideways, bracing ourselves against the cupboards.
ReplyDeleteThe trip down to Mexico was exhilarating...we were headed to Punta Mita from San Diego, but the bashing of hips against the sharp edges of Nirvana was more than my body could take and I came up lame by the time we got to Barra de Navidad. I really think it was a panga ride from Sayulita back to Nirvana that finally did me in. I braced for each wave (the seas were horribly rough and Nirvana was bouncing one way, the panga the other), but everyone missed a really big one coming and I think it finally did my back in for good. But you are all young and hopefully have no back issues already, so you should be fine.
But you are right, Angela, there is nothing like being out to sea with no land in sight, and watching the stars in a sky that is not compromised in any way by artificial light. So glad you are all having such a wonderful experience. Nirvana is a very special boat, and Gary knows her like the back of his hand. Maybe better than the back of his hand. Dorado is a particularly delicious fish and sounds like you have a couple of gourmands on board to make sure you eat well.
All the best to all of you.