16.35 BOAT TIME | 08° 10.1’ S 114° 16.9’ W
Sailing
We are operating on a 3-on, 6-off watch schedule and some of the times are better than others. Please read on for a totally subjective and not at all data driven tiering of our watches by Kate. Disclaimer: views stated here do not represent that of the entire crew and/or staff and some are hotly contested, but I have claimed authorial privilege so my word will stand.
BOTTOM TIER
0900-1200:
- Pros: None.
- Cons: It is too hot, there is no shade, this watch gave me heat exhaustion, I am personally biased against it!
1200-1500:
- Pros: You might as well be on watch as there is no shade anywhere on the boat and it is too hot. Sometimes Zoe makes a little lunch treat.
- Cons: Again, it is too hot.
APPLE WATCHES:
- Why do people have these, they are ugly and also they make you see/respond to text messages in a timely fashion? Could never be me.
MID TIER
0300-0600:
- Pros: A beautiful night watch, loads of stars, nice and quiet, our bird friend arrived on it last night.
- Cons: Weird sleeping before and after, you’re sorta hungry but not really.
0000-0300:
- Pros: Also a very nice night watch.
- Cons: Marginally less weird sleeping than 3-6a but still not ideal.
1500-1800:
- Pros: Shade!!! Glorious shade comes over the cockpit and we all come out to glory in it and have a delicious dinner. The speed record was also set on this watch.
- Cons: You watch everyone else eat dinner while you are at the helm until Ken (top tier crew member) finishes his dinner and takes pity on your hungry stomach to come helm while you eat. You then have to do the dinner dishes and get all sweaty before trying to sleep.
2100-0000:
- Pros: You got a little post-dinner nap, a beautiful night watch, you can look forward to some good sleep afterwards .
- Cons: You are very tired by the end of this one.
MY CLASSIC TIMEX:
- Pros: Tells the time, looks cool.
- Cons: On my kitchen table at home instead of being useful here.
ADAM'S WATCH:
- Pros: Tells him when to relieve me on the helm.
- Cons: Apparently cannot be updated to tell the correct hour of time, can only be relied upon for the minutes which is fine because that is all I need.
TOP TIER
0600-0900:
- Pros: Starts with stars (depending on where in the time zone we are), ends with sunrise. No need to be slathered in sunscreen yet.
- Cons: Sleeping after is kind of annoying.
1800-2100:
- Pros: Starts with sunset, ends with stars. Full bellies, everyone else goes to nap, nice and quiet.
- Cons: None so far, it is beautiful and my favourite.
This concludes the tiering of watches; thank you for your time and attention.
Kate
View more passage logs
Among the Channel Islands
In the wind shadow of SoCal we had a restful night with calm conditions ghosting through smooth seas. We’re getting ourselves in position for spicy weather tonight once we round Cape Conception, the seas build and the breeze freshens. It will be an upwind sail into an acceleration zone along a formable coast with few bailout points, Morro Bay being one. The crew is really gelling with lots of smiles and laughter on deck. Monterey is in our sights!
Day Two Delights
The seas were completely glassy with a gentle swell as we approached San Clemente Island, the southernmost of the Channel Islands. Everyone jumped in and marvelled at the lovely temperature and crystal clear, indigo-colored water. Before long the wind started to pick up, and we happily unfurled the jib and were sailing again. The afternoon has been gorgeous, cruising along at 5-6 kts, close hauled on a port tack in a gentle breeze, Catalina Island in the distance on our starboard side, and everyone is happy.
Adios Ensenada!
Around 9am this morning, we slipped lines and made our way out of Todos Los Santos Bay with a pre-arranged escort pod of dolphins. After a few hours of motoring through very calm, very blue, very kelpy seas, we clicked the engine off and off we went. After some delicious frittata and not-new potatoes a-la Adam, we executed our first of many tacks. With only 5-10 kts of wind, our close haul has been nothing but pleasant so far. After a lovely week in Ensenada for me, Alex, and Adam, we’re stoked to finally head out and begin our upwind journey back up the coast.