As nights go, it's one of our best for a long time. Not that there's much of it. Kodiak, our furthest stop north of the entire circumnavigation, is on about the same latitude as Aberdeen. In fact, it doesn't really get pitch dark at all.
We're running into a slight head sea, which, with our heavy fuel load, means it's comfortable at only around 8 knots. In fact, we've managed to address one or two comfort issues. The cushions which form the two rear seats / bunks have flattened as a result of the extensive pounding throughout the voyage. What we've done is augment them with the two Thermarest inflatable foam sleeping mats normally used when everybody is sleeping - when the boat's in port. It makes a terrific difference, taking the hard shocks out of all the bumps.
We also have something on which to play our music cassettes at last. There, in Kodiak, was a box waiting for us, containing a smart portable music centre and 12 volt inverter. We're very grateful to Dominic Palmeri from Guernsey for buying and shipping this. Our spirits were raised even before we switched it on!
That's not to say I've become entirely redundant as onboard entertainments officer. Over the last few days I've been reading out loud Michael Crichton's "Airframe" to Alan and Steve, one of the pile of books kindly given to us by Marina from Pacific Network in P-K. We finish that one off, and start on one of Crichton's earlier novels - "Sphere".
And we've also been mindful of our special fourth crew member. He's with us from P-K to Telegraph Cove - an imaginary journey for him, and for which he wants no public recognition. It was the only condition for a remarkably generous donation to our "bring the Spirit home" campaign. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and we've been delighted to have you aboard, even if only in spirit.
As the sun comes up on Tuesday morning - yes, sunshine - the conditions have improved, and our speed has doubled to 16 knots. We'd toyed with the idea of following the Alaskan coastline around from Kodiak to British Columbia. It would give us more bad weather options, but would have added to the overall mileage, already a fair stretch for one leg at very nearly a thousand miles. But the one phrase we heard again and again, talking to different people in Kodiak, was "you're through the worst of it now".
So we're on our prime route - straight across the Gulf of Alaska to the northern tip of Vancouver Island, and our next stop, Telegraph Cove. Here we reach another milestone of sorts. The mileage remaining drops from a five-digit figure to four. We really are on our way home.
Clive Tully
Copyright Clive Tully ©2002
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