Sent by Ann 18 minutes ago. Editors comment here "Ann is back in true form"
Today is Monday the 17, we have been at sea for over 24 hours now. The first 24 were a bit rough. The seas were lumpy and both Barry and I got really seasick for the first time on Cat's-Paw IV. We both lost our cookies overboard, me first and then about 3 hours later Barry did it as well. I went to sleep afterwards and then felt a lot better once I got up. We did not eat much and had to remind ourselves to keep hydrated. After I was feeling better I asked Barry if he would like some eggs to eat and he practically gagged at the suggestion.
Today was a much different day. It was sunny and bright with light winds all day. We did put the spinnaker up in the morning, at Barry's suggestion I might add, but took it down a couple of hours later as there was not enough wind to keep it inflated. At the moment I am in the cockpit surrounded by darkness. There are millions of stars twinkling everywhere but then I look closer, in one section of the sky I can not see any stars, and a dark menacing presence is brooding. Then a brilliant flash of lightning rips across the sky, my night vision destroyed for a few seconds. The lightning is off in the distance so I am not too worried about it yet. I hear the gentle lapping of the ocean swell on our hull and feel the breeze on my cheeks. I am dressed in longjohns, sweats, merino wool socks,Crocks, my Icebreaker merino shirt I got for a really good deal in Yellowknife at the sports store and my floater jacket. It is still cool on watch at night.
About a half and hour ago a light appeared on the horizon. As it got closer I could distinguish that there were 2 white lights and one green one. Having read "How to avoid large ships" given to us by a pair of Yellowknife sailors before we left, I immediately turned on the radar and then woke Barry up to keep an eye on the radar down below as I kept my eyes pealed above decks. The large ship passed within 2 miles of us, going across our bow, we called on the VHF, but there was no reply. It makes you wonder if there is anyone on watch?????
I have decided to test out Icebreaker's claim that their gear does not smell even after you wear it for days on end. I am going to wear this shirt day and night until it gets too hot for it and see how it smells at the end of the trip!!!
Ahhh, the sweet sound of our new wind generator. What a good purchase, it goes all day and all night when there is wind. Do you know that yesterday it actually stopped a few times because the batteries were all topped off and we did not need anymore power, how sweet it that, WOW. BOB our new wind vane is steering away allowing me to do this while I am at the helm. Hang on a second while I scan a 360 to make sure there are now other large ships lurking out there waiting to make my heart go pitter patter. No freighters but those big ugly clouds aren't going away any time soon. All the other gear we have put on seems to be working just fine, the new wireless wind instruments are talking to each other faithfully putting out a picture of where the wind is coming from and the strength. I still stare up at the wind vane at the top of the mast to determine how to set the sails. The only other thing to report is, do you remember be going on about the straps that I sewed on the sail at the reefing points, that weren't ever going to come off. Well they are still on there but you will never believe it, I put one of the straps in the wrong spot, @#$!@ I will have to undo it and sew it up again as I do not have enough strapping to make another. ARRRGGH! I will sign off now, anyone interested in guessing when we will make landfall in Fiji, that sound so exotic doesn't it?