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Location 34° 01S 178° 51EAST
Thursday 12:00, 07.19.2007
The Schooner Maggie B was at 34° 01S, 178° 51E at noon on 19 July, New Zealand time. Our wind had about pooped out and we were headed 035 at 5 knots. We had traveled 271 NM from Opua and have 1962 to go to Tahiti. It is a lovely day now as the high fills in and the sky clears. As of this writing (1630), we are motor sailing on the rhumb line for Tahiti.
It appears that we have about half a day of light or no wind before the next low sets us up with a nice NW’erly. Right now we are headed directly for Papeete, but we are conscious of being careful not to get too far north and miss out on the westerlies. One low at a time!
We are back in an area of wonderful phosphorescence. Having dolphin alongside was Theresa’s delight last night and Hannah brought a bucket of seawater on board to light things up. I turned out the running lights (the stern light is very bright) for a while to watch the wake.
We are now standing three, four hour watches, and Ben is taking a watch with everyone, to learn the ropes (literally!). Soon we all will be comfortable and he’ll be able to stand his own, and we will return to the luxury of three hours on and nine off.
Ben had made a bet with some friends twenty months ago that he wouldn’t cut his hair for the year he was to travel around Australia. He won that bet, but some of his mates interpret the bet that he wasn’t to cut his hair until he returned. His more-than-shoulder-length hair is bothering him at sea, but he doesn’t wan to lose the money. As Captain, I feel that I should call it a Safety Issue and have him cut it, and thus void out the bet. He has by far the most beautiful hair on board and it is going to be very scary to pick up the shears.
We have a ritual aboard when we set sail on long legs. We gather in the cockpit and pour a glass of rum. The first “drink” goes as a libation into the sea, then I say a short quote or poem, then all drink and make a toast. Setting out for Tahiti I read from Joshua Slocum’s “Sailing Alone Around the World:” “I had penetrated a mystery, and, by the way, sailed through a fog. I had met Neptune in his wrath, but he found that I had not treated him with contempt, and so he suffered me to go on and explore.” We hope that the Maggie B will be “suffered..to go on and explore.”
All is well.