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Being strapped to a bed for three days isn’t a comfortable thing, especially during bouncy weather. So it was a very happy rower that was able to get up and walk today after the last three of Very Bouncy Weather. Just like My Favourite Apple Ever the other day,  I savoured every lungful of fresh air once I got outside after lunch today and spent a lot of time stretching my muscles. The perfect place to crunch my back is the frame of the hatch – half in, half out, arced like a cat stretching up against it, I can get a good few vertrebrae to crunch. Oh, how I am looking forward to finding a decent sports masseur in Canada! And therein lies the irony at the moment – 23 days in to the voyage and although we have clocked over 900 nautical miles made good (i.e. in the right direction) from Choshi, Japan, I have spent two thirds of that time on the sea anchor, confined to the cabin.

Serious face on as I look out of the cabin during the rough stuff

This afternoon was spent eating and rehydrating, washing and sorting, and then taking in the sea anchor. The latter turned into quite a mission – and after half an hour of heaving on lines it became clear why – the lines had got into a massive spaghetti tangle during the bouncy weather.

A tangled sea anchor is not a happy sea anchor

Look how long my hair has grown after three days in the cabin

And thus my afternoon was spent sorting it all out, in between watching dolphins. Three groups of Common dolphins came past,  of which one group circled the boat and dived beneath us blowing bubbles, whizzing and squealing as they went as though playing with radios. I still find it amazing that I can hear the chatterings of these creatures and love it that they stopped to say hello.

Incoming weather over the next few days is not going to help us towards Canada  as it blows in from the East. My weather router Lee has given me the goal of staying within a ‘corridor’ of about 40 nautical miles deep in order to avoid a contrary current. So even if I don’t make ground east, the goal is to minimise westward drift and stay within Lee’s latitude goal posts. We’ll see what we can do. First, I shall have to learn what to do with those oars outside – it feels like forever since we last had a go with those.

Evening sun as it all starts settling down

I would like to end  this blog by saying a very happy thank you to everyone for their lovely comments during the last few days. Before the capsize I was nervous and tense, with lots of thoughts of the final storm with Gulliver last year – all rather emotional and stressful. And then we capsized. Happy Socks rolled and I let out a sigh of relief. It felt good to have gone over and to come out of it safe and feeling OK about it all. After last year I was scared of capsizing and being prone like that in rough weather. And Happy Socks has just showed me that all will be OK – she rocks. And, happily, rolls.

And hopefully tomorrow we shall have a rower that rows, too.

All salty best,

Sarah and Happy Socks x

PS. All the oranges aboard send their smiley hellos to everyone – I am glad that smiling citrus made everyone so smiley.

PPS Rachel from Bardsey  – Great to hear from you! Glad you are loving WTP. I love that quote too. Hope the art course is going well and that family and animals are all well.

Christina Watts – There is soooo much dried fruit on this boat! Lots of seeds and nuts too. And plenty of sweeties/chocs etc as well – not like your boys on the Indy out for a ‘healthy’ row!

Ray Girard – On talking to my fruit… I talk to everything out here!

Stephen Stewart – Hai, genki desu, arigatou. Canada marae teokogiboto-de, ikki mas. Rokagetsu gurai kakareymas. (Thought I would rock out my two sentences of Japanese for you in response to your Japanese

Listen to my latest phonecast

Listen to my latest phonecast

My favourite apple ever

I don’t normally bestow titles on my fruit but today was different. It was The Day of the Last Apple. Slightly browned and bruised after a couple of weeks boshing about in the sweaty front cabin, but nonetheless a very tasty munch for tea this evening and the tastiest ever because there will be no more until Canada. Believe me, when you know you are down to the Last One of Something Until Canada, it tastes all the better.

And now I give you the Happiest Orange Ever – look at that smile!

All smiles

Drawing smiley faces on citrus fruits (and, where available, eggs) to leave in surprise places for friends gives me many moments of fun on dry land. The power of a smiley face is huge – try it for yourself – either smiling up an orange for your own entertainment or to leave on the desk or in the bag of an unsuspecting compadre.

Today has been a cabin day – the wind has been steadily cracking from the east all day long. Happily, our friend the Kuroshio is now (finally) pulling us Eastward too. Later tomorrow we are due a blow from the SSE – with winds of 30-35knots gusting 40knots. What makes it interesting is that it will be blowing directly against the current, which will make for quite a bounce with steep, sharp waves.  Lee has even suggested I consider rowing out of the current to avoid it. At the moment I am leaning towards staying – after all, Happy Socks has proved herself in similar conditions already and, while it won’t be comfortable in there, I reckon we will be OK.

Meanwhile, I am filling my hours in the cabin with snoozing, the odd biscuit and a very fab book on Winnie the Pooh.

Enjoy your apples folks,

Sarah and Happy Socks x

PS. In other orangey news, we have about six left I think. Still lots of lemons and limes.