Location: Underway
Argo is beyond the mid-passage point. Shipmates are beginning to see what it is like to let go of their former views of time, land, communication, etc. They’re beginning to know what to expect from the stars at three am versus nine pm. They’re staying up an hour after watch for a good moonrise. They’re joining in on midday workouts. After the numerous days of heat and motoring at the beginning of the passage, the on-and-off sailing in this second half of the passage has really helped shipmates to watch the weather with a closer eye. They’re beginning to look for possible wind changes around sunrise or sunset. They’re beginning to notice when the wind picks up when the sail’s luff. We’ve definitely settled into the offshore way of life and passing of time, as ‘days’ are replaced by ‘watches’ and entertainment can be found in a bird or a strange light. We sit for hours on end, looking at the sky or the water. We pass the watch off, saying, “Same Same.” Not much is happening. Then everything happens at once: a fish on the line, a squall, dishes flying across the deck, sails in, sails out, mealtime, clean up, class, and finally sleep.