Sailing across an ocean is not an endeavour for the inpatient traveller. Our speed although a good 10 knots at times will average out to a solid 6 knots an hour.  Crossing a massive ocean under sail is a good way to re-calibrate your sense of time, purpose and perspective. 

We inhabit a world of sound, of wind, waves, water and endless horizons. An ocean crossing holds the potential of one of the most changing of journeys. It’s great to be back on the ocean among the salt and the stars.    And then the other part of this reality. There is nothing easy about even the simplest of day to day tasks on a boat that is sailing downwind through ocean swell.  You always have to hold on to something on the boat or you will be tossed and slammed unceremoniously onto the closest solid object and this will most likely result in an injury.

There is much sound, wind and waves and all the the creaking and groaning of the boat. There are textures of darkness shifting inky Black Sea, dark starry sky.  There is always lots to take in and this never gets old or boring.   During some of the days we are joined by a couple of birds.  Sometimes just one but today there are two circling and flying back past us and past each other in what looks like a well rehearsed ballet.

I sleep in the bow of the boat. I manage to wedge myself in a narrow part of the V to reduce being rolled around as much as possible. Wedged there right at the bow I am aware of the tremendous volume of water rushing past the bow and the constant sound scape of tons and tons of cubic meters of water that we are pushing through that then rushes along the hull and ripples out. I can also feel the bow dip down as we go down waves and the bow gets buried in water.   I drift off to sleep. Please don’t let us hit anything like a tanker, a partially submerged container or a sleeping whale are my final thoughts before I drift into a watery sleep.

Keep up with the journey - click the + below the map and enter your email address to subscribe. You’ll get an update every morning, whenever there’s a new blog post