So we’ve just had our first night at sea! It’s great to be back… apart from the fact that my omelette just slid off my plate and across the table. Sea Dragon continues to look after us well while enjoying some consistent breeze as we sail upwind hunting the North Pacific High and some favorable winds.
We have just left Oahu, Hawaii, to an awesome farewell by a whale and dolphins, and are on route to Ensenada, Mexico once again.Our aim is to get into the high pressure where the conditions are calm seas with no wind so we can trawl and share our knowledge on plastic pollution in the marine environment with the new crew. This is also where we will find some favorable winds for us to turn and sail downwind to Ensenada without beating upwind the entire way, making the passage more comfortable.
We have 5 guest crew onboard with a range of backgrounds, some are sailors wanting to develop the skills to take on the oceans on their own and some have never been on a boat before. Everyone has a large sense of adventure and are dealing well with life onboard at a 20 degree heel. We do all look like drunken toddlers as we struggle to do the most mundane tasks without falling over or emptying the contents of the fridge on the floor. Some of the crew have become rather attached to their buckets, thankfully they are more of comfort bucket rather than a necessity which requires constant emptying.
It’s always a challenge the first few days as everyone grows accustomed to walking sideways uphill around the boat and trying to hold on so they don’t slide right off the toilet seat as Sea Dragon powers through the waves. We are maintaining a good speed as we sail north while everyone gets familiar on the helm and the sight of only the big blue for as far as the eye can sea.