Location: 1° 15N, 39 13W
Sunday, 03.30.2008

The Schooner Maggie B was at 1° 15N, 39° 13W at noon on 30 March. It continues to be ITCZ weather - regular rain showers with a little wind, then a wind hole, then another rain shower. We are getting good at sealing the boat up in a hurry and then opening up afterwards. One choice for the Watch is to decide on foulies or a shower. Most take a shower.

We have come 1199 NM from Salvador and have 1609 to go to Antigua. We are still being promised a decent NE Trade “tomorrow.”

The visit of King Neptune and Queen Iemanja was climatic. They arrived at about sundown between rain squalls. Fearsome! The pollywogs, Thomas and Curtis were roused up from the hold and immediately forced to walk the plank, encouraged in by sword and trident. Frank and Hannah had thoughtfully supplied their shipmates with a line to hang onto as they were dragged across The Line. They were eventually allowed out of the water only after buckets of mouldy seaweed were thrown on them, as well as startling imprecations. In the process, they were lashed by a poisonous jellyfish which left them suitably stung and marked (really!). They then had their bellies shaved by a rusty razor, forced to eat a Shellback Pill (which was like a marshmallow Peep covered in Vegemite, but worse), kissed Neputune’s disgusting green-slimed belly, and were tested and accepted as Shellbacks. They were then given Shellback Names, Thomas as Moses, which is traditional for the youngest, and Curtis as Albatross. Neptune and Iemanja departed to their realms in peace as the next rain squall closed in.

It is strange to be back in “The Pond,” though we have a ways to go. We now have our Danforth Northern Hemisphere steering compass back in place, and the Southern Hemisphere Plath stowed away for next time. The Danforth has a lot of brass, which will probably take the whole way to Antigua to get shiny again.

All is well.