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23 May
2001
The wind comes and goes. And it hasn't gotten much better. The last 24 hours
gave me 67 miles and an average of 2.68 knots/hour. Slowly(/Little by little)
I'm getting tired of switching between autopilot and Windpilot. I'm sailing on a
breeze.
Since it's(/it seems to be) so popular to exchange recipes, here's one that is
especially addressing single sailors, who have spent many days at sea, have
spent all day fishing without the luck of catching anything and don't have a
large selection of canned food. Now he's looking forward to his boiled
rice..........
RICE DISH WITH ONIONS AND TUNA:
Pour an abundant amount of oil into a casserole and chop an onion and a couple
(of cloves, edit) of garlics. When that is done, pour in the rice and water
(remember one half of sea water. There's no point in using salt and water when
there's ready-mixed and lots of it outside now is there?)
Pour oil into the casserole and fry a large onion (and if possible a couple of
garlics also). Mix a can of tuna in there and fry it for a moment. Pour the
whole thing with breadcrumbs and turn it over a couple of times. Ought to be
eaten (together) with ketchup like most home-made dishes.
Possible (accessories): raw or roasted onions.
The recipe has only been used once, and now two hours later I'm not yet feeling
ill(/sick) or bad. Better luck with the fishing tomorrow.......
Just before sunset I saw a giant turtle. I guess(/suppose) it was over a metre
long and I sailed over there. It just lied there watching me and wasn't scared
of me at all. I could have easily caught it, but I could never kill a turtle.
However, I have tried(/eaten) turtles out here and they're delicious. I just
don't want to kill them. With the (sheer) size of this, it might be (as much as,
edit) 80 years old.
25 May 2001
The wind came suddenly last night and in five minutes I was fully reefed down.
The sea is miserable and it really is from one extreme to the other.
Of course it's a wind abreast(/abeam) (coming) from port tack and that is just
the side with the bad(/poor) upper shroud. I have taken(/lead) a couple of extra
halyards down, in order for them to assist(/help) (me) in taking the ???.
I'm getting cold feet(/having second thoughts) regarding going through the
Tuamotus. There isn't much room and the trip through there would probably
take(/be) around a couple of days. It can get strenuous(/tiring) and probably
dangerous for Trojka. So (just) maybe I ought to swallow the bitter pill and go
round, which will take a couple of extra days. What worries me about that is
that I'll probably have head wind when I turn(/swing) towards the
south(/southwards) and the 130 miles can(/could) take a couple of days if I'm
unlucky(/unfortunate) and have to turn to windward like mad(/a madman). I'm
still thinking about(/considering) it and have another 24 hours to decide.
Many have experienced going aground(/striking the reef) in this area, which I
really don't feel like experiencing(/trying)..........
Here(/Now) late in the day the wind has gotten(/gone) weaker and the speed is at
this moment only about 4 knots. But on the other hand it's much more
comfortable. I have just had pancakes and I made enough so I'll be having it for
breakfast tomorrow also. Not bad at all.
I have just tried working out(/calculating) when I'll arrive. Nat's going to be
"crazy". She's expecting me there from May 27 and I won't arrive until 3-4 days
later. I'll try if I can call a ship over the radio when I come near(/approach)
the Tuamotus, and have them send her an e-mail.
I know how annoying it is waiting without knowing anything. She's worried too.
In any case(/Anyhow), she isn't all that impressed with little Trojka.
24 May 2001
I fished(/was fishing) at sunrise. That's just the best time, and I hooked a
giant Dorado. It was so big that I wouldn't kill it. I can easily catch another,
(and) hopefully smaller one. I couldn't(/were unable to) get the hook out of its
mouth in the water and had to bring it all the way in. When it got into the
cockpit it went berserk and in the (very) instant the hook came out, it jumped
inside the cabin and landed on my bed. Slime everywhere(/all over the place) and
after a couple of tries in there(/inside) the berth, it ended (up) on my stove,
it tipped(/tilted) the casserole with rice and sauce(/gravy) on the floor and
was now flapping around in it. Now I actually regret(ted) that I hadn't killed
it, though I had mercy(/took pity) on it and used my quilt cover to wrap around
it to get it out before it ruined the boat all together(/completely). It
was(/must have been) a happy fish that swam home. And what a story it now can
tell. I (on the other hand, edit) had to spend an hour's time tidying up after
it('s rampage, edit). As for my bedding(/bed clothes) it was thrown overboard.
It won't be worthwhile washing it, since I'm(/I will be) quitting(/stopping)
when I reach Tahiti. I have given it much thought; sometimes it is as if I have
gotten cold feet, but at the same instant I see Natalie (again, edit) it always
disappears.
25 May 2001
I'm moving on nice and easy. I am to reach the first island; Ahe (Island),
tonight around midnight. And then I have to make that decision. I'm afraid I'll
run out of wind in there. There will probably be up to five knots of current
between the islands/reefs and I don't have any more gas apart from(/except) the
litre I have saved for Papeete. Perhaps there's a port/town on Ahe Island where
I can buy some more. But I don't know(/it's merely speculation, edit), since I
don't have a map. I'll try if I can get in touch with anyone over the radio, (I
mean) people really love helping each other out. With my luck, there will
probably be somebody who offers to "pull" me through those damn atolls.
The wound is looking good. I guess it won't heal (up) completely before I start
walking around without the bandage. I change it daily(/on a daily basis) but
have decided that it won't come off before reaching land(/shore) once again and
there's a(/the) prospect of daily showers. Cleanliness is a good thing(/next to
godliness) but at sea it isn't always easy(/an easy task) to keep the standard. |