Home Sweet Home

Oct 20 7:30AM

Audrey and Serge were roping cattle on deck last night. I'm sure of it, based on the stampede of feet, flogging of ropes, jingle-jangle of metal. Yeah, it was a downright rodeo, right above my head, on the foredeck.

My cabin is the forwardmost one, on the port side; just astern the head, which is just behind the forepeak. I like it: it's cozy and it's mine all
mine (at least for now). I sleep in the upper bunk, since my aging body
seems to like the suspension of the pipe berth over the firmer (but bigger)
bunk below . besides that, I've been working on organizing the medical kit,
which, seeing we are self-sufficient at sea, is MASSIVE, so currently it
looks like I'm dealing drugs out of my lower bunks, plus I have wads of
luggage permanently stowed: slinky stuff and flip flops which will likely
not see the light of day for months .

My pipe berth is just about as wide as my bodacious bionic hips. Considering
all my parts screwed and soldered on, cut up, newly tweaked (left ankle) and
recurring (right arm) I sleep rigidly face upl, under a mountain of
blankets, and practice being in a coffin.

Outboard (towards the hull) I have a sturdy lee cloth and a post, to keep me
from falling out. But inboard my lee cloth attaches only at the bulkheads,
fore and aft (at my head, and at my feet). So that leaves a wobbly lip of
fabric at my (ahem) more generous sector, making it likely (in view of my
propensity for clumsiness) that I could get tossed right out of bed, and
onto the floor - which is a good five feet down to solid teak. And probably
bouncing off a pallet of ibuprofen on the way down .

So I've devised a plan to string a line from the bulkhead by my head to the
one by my feet, and attach a piece of webbing in the middle of the lee cloth
to this, to pull it up and make my bed more snug. This could make a really
neat laudryline (if I deign to sleep with wet socks dangling by my noggin).
Or if I want to feel like the Queen of Sheba, I can drape my cotton cheetah
print sarong (yes I brought it with me) on the line, for some privacy and
ambiance . however considering how appealing it might be to hang around
naked in a meat locker, I'll pass, and leave the ambiance to the foo foo
'room sprays' I bought for my birthday in Buenos Aires.

I have a wee window/hatch above the shelves that house four plastic milk
cartons that house my stuff, atop of which I of course duly propped my
collection of books, that come flying at me whenever we tack over to port.
The piece de resistance is a rug the crew gave me for my birthday so I have
someplace warm to put my feet: that's if I ever take my socks off! (Which
brings us back to the nice smelly sprays from BA.)

NOTES & GEN'L OBSERVATIONS

The Wanderer (AKA Wandering Albatross) is truly massive, with its 11'
wingspan and corpulent white body. Everyone has been teasing me about my
desire to have Thanksgiving dinner in So Georgia (apparently turkey is not
the rage down here) but I'm thinking one of THESE puppies with a nice
cornbread stuffing .

I make a pot of coffee every other morning, when I have the 7AM - 1PM shift.
Like today. J Otherwise we drink a lot of tea; plus I brought some
individual packets of Crystal Light pink lemonade which I sparingly dole
out; and fantasize about TJ's jasmine green tea.

Mom's carrot soup was a big hit with the crew. I suggested we could have the
leftovers chilled on a warm day and everyone laughed. "Not anytime soon!" .
Considering the amount of ginger in it, it might be a good meal for seasick
passengers . or it could just produce a very colorful byproduct.

A small pod of Dusky Dolphins visited us yesterday. First three, then
another bunch veered in, showing off. These guys could never get a job at
Sea World, they are clumsy splashy guys and up on the bow I had to watch out
for dolphin snot and spray. The ocean temp is 8C . I don't know what that is
F but it sounds cold.

I look very dashing in my matching aviator hat and gloves, foulies and
boots. Shopping list for Punta Arenas: liner socks (many) and one new warm
sweater/fuzzy shirt.

We are fast approaching the Straits of Magellan (424nm). Maybe too fast .
there is a storm brewing and Stephen will probably elect to stand offshore
until it passes. I figure if he says it's a "big blow" then it must be a BIG
blow! We are all preparing (getting showers out of the way, stowing our
stuff) and hence I might not send another dispatch until after we are in
port. Currently we are at 46 20S 62 40W. Sometime Friday we will cross from
the Roaring Forties to the Furious Fifties :-O !!

As we say here in multi-lingual XPLORE: ciao ciao, bonne nuit, g'night.