Thursday
Hey guys its Brad again! Another exciting day onboard Sea Dragon.
At 3am this morning, Skipper Anna persuaded me to climb into the wet locker behind all the jackets so I could give Mo a scare when she reached for her foul weather gear. I grabbed her arm and yelled as soon as I saw movement. She was not amused, however the rest of us were!
Later this afternoon, Tina caught another fish. Anna again filleted the Mahi Mahi into small strips which Maggie then marinated in spicy teriyaki and soy sauce. Jeff and Anna started rolling the sushi, when suddenly a big rock came and a complete sushi roll went flying. Instinct kicked in and I went to catch it with the knife wielding hand, but alas Jeff did as well and knife met hand. Don’t worry! The sushi roll was saved and consumed by all. Jeff on the other hand (pun intended), had a small but deep wound on the outside of his right hand. Being a doctor and having seen much worse, he cleaned it up and kept pressure on it. At this point, I felt absolutely terrible and sat in the corner of shame.
Anna had a look at it, and decided with Dr Jeff (with a menacing smile on her face) that it needed a single stitch. At last, she could fulfill her lifetime dream of stitching an actual person rather than constantly practicing on a lemon…Dr Jeff (as we call him if asking a medical question, or if someones being treated) coached Anna through the steps while Gabi gripped his arm tight (for her benefit or his I’m still not sure) and watched.
While I hid on deck in shame, sushi was served followed by scrumptious Apple Pie made by Maggie, Mo and Gabi. After a group hug to console both Jeff and I, we viewed our first sunset of the trip. The color were breathtaking, and I cannot wait for more as we close in on Hawaii.
Friday
So, today was insane.
Gabi here! Once again, I have taken the wheel of blog-writing duties fro Madame Mo for the day, and what a day it was!
We started off the morning with some exciting news – 500nm till we reach our destination of Oahu. It was a bittersweet realization that we would soon pull in to Ko ‘Olina Marina and go our seperate ways… 🙁
But the day’s tasks soon turned our minds away from impending departure. Lunch was served – buffalo cauliflower tacos with potato and coleslaw. Laundry was done, and Sea Dragon was helmed through some decent waves making her pick up some speed. Maggie hit15.2 knots surfing down a wave! (Amazing job, Helm Master!) Some hours later, a Thai curry and noodle dinner was served to an eagerly awaiting crew. And thats when the fun began…
First off, Chris has been having some trouble with his back. Dr Jeff, the one and only, thought to take a look at it using the aptly shaped saloon table. Just as Chris laid down, a large wave rocked the boat hard to starboard taking Chris, Dr Jeff AND the table with her! The entire table collapsed and after making sure no-one was injured (apart from Chris’s back), everyone laughed it off as Mo and Anna screwed it back down.
Soon after, the generator wouldn’t start. With the generator bay door off and Anna looked deep in thought, her and Mo (assistant generator fixer at the time) came to the conclusion that the starter battery was “toast” (just to translate to American, it was quite old and had come to the end of its life). With the generator temporarily out of commission, the engine was turned on as a substitute for battery charging and hot water making for showers…which is when I broke the shower head.
Now I know what you’re thinking; “First the table, then the generator, now the shower nozzle! Whatever next?” Never say that on a boat. Because it’s bad luck. And Anna, Maggie and Mo will stare you down. (They’re a suspicious bunch.) It just broke when I happened to be using it. Brad was lucky and got the fully functioning one. Anyway, I went to turn it on and a piece of the side just fell off and water started spewing everywhere. So, stumbling in response to the rocking of Sea Dragon, and clutching my towel for dear life, I went to find (you guessed) Anna, who calmly turned off the water and installed a spare.
And what do you know! Here I lie in bed, full of Thai curry and freshly showered because Anna came came to the rescue again.
What adventures are coming our way tomorrow I wonder…?
Saturday
Mo again! And I’m quite glad to inform you that after Gabi fell in the shower, and I broke my toe helping to reef the main sail at 2am, no other injuries were sustained (to the crew or Sea Dragon.)
A very hot and sticky day, all the hatches were open and fans blowing on the highest setting. I got up at 0900 for watch, and helped Maggi make a sushi bowl (sushi rice, tofu, eggs and veggies) for lunch. After my watch, I returned to my sauna of a cabin, and slept through I believe 3 fish ons! All Mahi Mahi’s, we only kept the first one for lunch tomorrow (lentil bolognese was already cooking). The afternoon was a bit dreary with rain and gusts accompanying us as we smash through the final 300nm.
I’m not going to lie, today was quite uneventful (apart from the fish) compared to the past couple days. The night went on with more rain and wind, and more rain.
Sunday
Land ho!!!
Brad here again, to tell you about the day’s adventures.
At last, after 2 weeks at sea, we finally have Hawaii in our sights. This milestone has had a mixed reception. It means our journey is almost over. The routines and sights we have become so accustomed to are about to end, and we will soon part ways with our new friends
But it also means that we’ve done it! We have completed an adventure that many of our friends and family said was crazy. For many of us, we have proven to ourselves that we are more capable than previously thought. The comforts of home and fellowship of friends and family is just around the corner. Talk of favorite foods has become a common topic on late watches for the past few days…I personally have been dreaming about pizza for almost a week. The past 100nm have put us to the test with high winds and a number of tacks and sail changes. It truly is the proper send off.
But before we can fully relax. We have to actually make it to Ko Olina Marina.