Okay, so this is long overdue and I have been promising forever, but here are the stories from the beginning.Pacific Puddle Jump Log
Day 1 – Friday April 16th
Good wind, a good start. We sailed 124 nm. I hope it lasts!
Tonight’s Dinner: Tomato, garlic & basil pasta by Kat
Day 2 – Saturday April 17th
Wind died today, of course. We also had a tomato crop disaster and lost over half of our fresh tomatoes we provisioned with. Whatz up with that! They only lasted a week and were green when we bought them.
Tonight’s Dinner: Pasta Primavera in Alfred sauce with chicken by Brian
Day 3 – Sunday April 18th
I decided that I’d write a book either based on “the litterbox” or the “Kat log” (and no I am not talking about poo here people), to fund my brainchild idea – the Church of Kat. To be expanded, maybe, to the House of the dog. Anyhow, I have some thumbnail designs for it, and it’s gonna be the cats meow :)
Oh, as for sailing, it was a quiet day, literally, like in no wind. So, the guys decided to go for a swim and Ali injured himself when he drove in. Bummer, down another crew member, well ½ a crew as he is still able to stand watch.
No wind = no sailing = no fish :(
I attempted to do La Paz Annie’s Yoga today. I only made it through the floor exercises before I was totally and completely sea sick. It gives new dimension to downward facing dog in a pitching sailboat! I can’t imagine attempting any standing balancing poses like Warrior, but hey, I’m game.
More tomato dishes today. Sad really, that we have to eat all our fresh tomato’s in one shot.
Tonight’s Dinner: Chili con carne / Veggie chili by Ben & Kat
Day 4 – Monday April 19th
4am – It’s early but I actually like this time to myself, alone, on watch. It’s ultra quiet except for the rustling of the rig. My time to contemplate life, love, and what matters. What will be my legacy? So far, I feel I have been like an unmanned sailboat, just adrift, lucky enough to escape major storms or hitting the rocks so far, but aimless none the less.
In these wee hours, I have devised a plan – something great, well to me at least, and that is one of life’s great lessons – follow your heart. Your head tends to over think such ambitions, even to dismiss them as foolish. Not this time.
Art & architecture – creation really are the lasting legacies to mankind. Museums, churches, monuments, works of beauty and awe, these are the things people visit, worship, and covet. They are everlasting, and if they are not, we dig them up and restore them.
Step one, write a book, maybe a children’s book? Step two, advertise & collect donations via the blog, and save book royalties. Also, produce a line of kitty cat products to sell on my website. Then finish the artistic renderings of my designs, and post to a website. Build it and they will come!
2pm the same day – Something to note the days have all been mostly overcast and I am really looking forward to the sun. Go figure - I sent a bunch of pants back to the states (one can only carry so much stuff).
Our little ambassador’s of the sea made an appearance today (dolphins), and they were not so little, huge actually. It never gets old watching them play in the bow wake and watching them watching you. Them so curious of us and us of them, just fantastic!
9pm – Another ultra slow day. I’d be surprised if we did 40 nm – ugh! Still no fish - meow. I’m watching a movie….
I’m going to lose my mind fast at this rate, and only 21 more days to go! I started to write my children’s book. Oh, I got a shower today, ahhhhhhh…….
Tonight’s Dinner: Falafel, Hummus wraps with cucumber, salsa relish by Kat
Side note: Hand Washing
Why do (a lot of, but not all) men feel it is not necessary to wash their hands after taking a leak (especial when peeing overboard)? Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it before – “well I don’t pee on my hands!” Note to guys – us women, we don’t pee on our hands either! Oh, let’s use that same logic with going super potty, shall we. Do you poop on you hands? You still wash them though don’t you?
You touch all the same stuff – the door, handle, seat, flusher. Even if you pee outside, you still have to whip it out & touch your privates directly. And then, let’s talk about the “shake” off. That action can accidentally hit an unintended target – like your clothing, hands, etc. So why do most men not wash their hands? Really. You know who you are, stop kidding yourselves.
Women don’t handle themselves with direct contact, drip, shake – they use a tissue. Plus all the women I know wash their hands after using the potty, even taking a leak. Just think about it.
Day 5 – Tuesday April 20th
Very uneventful day except we actual sailed, woowho! Avg 4 kts with 7-9 kts of breeze. Okay but it will be nice when we get some good, consistent wind over 10kts. I did a lot of reading today. Started another book and got through the first 100 pages.
Sea sickness is at bay, not talking anything but not feeling all that great either. It is very intermittent though. For the most part I think I am doing really, really well. It helps to be on such a big boat.
Tonight’s Dinner: Pork chops and chili leftovers by Ben & Brian
Day 6 – Wednesday April 21st
Read and slept a lot today. I finished my book “Goodnight Nobody” – great read.
We actually held a good pace sailing. Poled out.
Tonight’s Dinner: Curry chicken / Curry vegetables by Ali (supervisiory role only) & Brian
Day 7 – Thursday April 22nd
One full week of sailing, only did 450 nm total, so we are a little behind. Oh well, what are you going to do? Nothing. Wait for the wind, nothing but time. We are still poled out and now holding an average of 5.5 kts.
I am not feeling so good. I didn’t really sleep last night. It was a rough dinner, or shall I say a rough time cooking. I flipped over the pot of smashed potatoes onto the ground but they stuck to the sides and came out okay. Then I attempted to make biscuits for hamburger buns, wow that was difficult. Everything was flying all over the place, I needed 5 more hands!
Tonight’s Dinner: Hamburgers on homemade rosemary biscuits, smashed potatoes, and zucchini by Kat
