Sounds of sailing
5 July 2015
Sunday 5th July 2015
R, D and S letting out reefs in the middle of the ‘night’ (as all sleeps between watches have become). Banging waves, to silence as they ‘heave to’. The stomping, squeaking, muffled voices, banging and creaking of ropes, then the gentle swish of water one and a half inches away from my ear as we get going, not fast enough, more banging, stomping, creaking, jibe!, jibe! then we are going again.
The bang, bang like a galley door of the staysail sheet pulling through the block above my head.
The clatter-clatter drone of the engine cruising at 1500 rpm. At one particular speed it sets off beeping, something wrong with the alternator.
But the stove is lit, now the waves are not crashing over the deck, so inside is at least warm. I still don’t want to do anything except sleep.
I couldn’t do this for a living.