Pacific Odyssey - Leg 5

It´s been a windy, wet, and rock´n roll day, but a good day.  The sky was cloudy with some sun coming through early in the afternoon.  Rain and wind squalls peppered the day and are continuing into the night.  Water regularly sprays over the starboard rail, soaking everyone.  Becca seemed to be in the wrong spot 3 times today starting early in the morning and ending just 20 minutes ago, she´s very wet and salty but handles it all with a great attitude and her infamous laugh (can you hear it t.h.?).  Last night was a difficult night for sleeping; the motion increased quite drastically and even Amanda, who sleeps on the preferable port side, was heard to complain of being rolled too close to the hull.  The trick on the starboard
side is to brace oneself with a foot or arm, or to wedge a foot, hand or arm under the side of the mattress, which helps prevent one´s body from rolling. Another trick is to make one´s sleeping space smaller by lining the perimeter with blankets, soft knapsacks, extra clothes etc. thus allowing no space to roll . . . yes, it´s a skill.  We caught another fish this morning, a dorado, also called mahi mahi or dolphin fish.  It has a beautiful aqua blue and yellow color but quickly loses its brilliance once it is out of the water.  It is a vertically flat fish with a large square head and very tasty.  Chase and Scott marinated the Wahoo steaks along with the Dorado and served them as a mid-day treat. Everyone tidied their bunks this morning and we wiped down the entire interior of the ship.  There was salt water spray over many of the wooden surfaces.  There are still trainees and crew struggling with open wounds that seem to be taking their time to heal.  A PNG doctor called some of them ´school sores,´ something quite common in new environments and situations such as we have on the boat with large groups of people.  We were hoping the ´healing waters of Guam´ would improve their situation, and for some, things have improved.  After lunch we gathered in the stern and Skipper went over our route for Leg 5, outlining our passages on an enlarged chart he had drawn out.  He then passed out rivets to everyone and explained an exercise called ´The Forgiveness Rock´ which we do regularly.  Because we forgot to collect rocks on Chuuk, we are using rivets.  Skipper spoke on ´forgiveness´ and how it allows us to take control over a hurt inflicted upon us, and offers a freedom to move on without
necessarily having the hurting party reconciled as well.  Throwing away a rock, or rivet, is a symbol for beginning a process of letting go of a hurt, either self-inflicted or inflicted by another, that is controlling or inhibiting you.  He read a wonderful passage out of ´Becoming Human´ by Jean Vanier and then everyone had some time to reflect on what had been said and
the part forgiveness can play in their own relationships.  We were crossing the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean, and Skipper figured it would take roughly 3 hours for the rivets to settle on the bottom.  Jordan was filming some of the event and lost his favorite hat to the Mariana Trench because his hands were full of the film camera.  In the afternoon
there was reading, writing, sleeping, knitting, and school for the Anderson boys.  A wonderful ´cave´ has been created in the mast end of the main sail and all 3 boys were having a great time playing and rough housing in it together.  It is also a wonderful place to sleep.  Graham and Greg were two of Katie´s galley help and she had them peeling potatoes over the side;
there are always a few that get away, potatoes that is, not trainees.  Zach was also galley help and he was in the galley with Katie making delicious calzones for supper.  Jordan had port watch do work watch today between 1300 and 1500 hrs.  All 7 stood in a line along a double strand of marlin and made baggywrinkle.  Baggywrinkle is 6inch pieces of hemp knotted double
around the marlin and then bunched tightly together to form long 60ft stretches.  These are hauled up the mast and wrapped around the shrouds and stays to prevent chafage on the sails when they rub up against the cable. I enjoy making baggywrinkle; it´s usually a great way to chat with others and keep your hands mindlessly busy at the same time, and it helps Jordan out a
lot.  We should be reaching the southern end of Guam within a few hours. The motion will settle somewhat as we will be in the lee of the island.  We will still have several hours along the western coast before we reach Apra Harbor.  

At 0700 hrs tomorrow we hope to get a pilot to take us in to the dock; which is mandatory in Guam.  Chase would like to wish an early Happy Birthday to his sister Wendy for January 17th.  She will be flying in a few days with all but one of the family to visit Chase and the boat in Guam; we are looking forward to seeing them.  Happy Birthday Wendy from Chase (and
Elske, Bec, Bo, and Arwen).  

Until tomorrow, good night, Bonice.