At Sea
Today was our second day at sea on our transit from the Canary Islands to the Cape Verde Islands. We are sailing in the Northeast Trade Winds with a following sea and the wind right on our stern. These are the conditions sailors wait months for and we have enjoyed the sunshine on deck that came with them. Last evening we crossed the Tropic of Cancer, so we are now officially in the tropics.
It is easy to get into the rhythm of these sea days when the ship is a little world of its own within the horizon circle. We did raise one ship today, a supertanker headed for Las Palmas, but otherwise we were alone with our thoughts and the rolling sea. We had plenty to keep us busy, with three talks, lunch and dinner on deck, the pleasant water of the pool and the warmth of the afternoon sun on the foredeck as we searched the water for signs of birds and other life.
In the evening before cocktails several of us gathered on the foredeck to partake in one of the great traditions of life at sea. One old captain I sailed with used to say that we go to sea for the sunrises and sunsets. We certainly see them all. At these latitudes every morning and evening involves the search for the Green Flash, a commonly observed phenomenon at sea caused by the refraction of the sun’s rays as they pass through the atmosphere. This evening we saw only a trace of this ephemeral flash, but we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and the company of our shipmates in these incredible surroundings.
Today was our second day at sea on our transit from the Canary Islands to the Cape Verde Islands. We are sailing in the Northeast Trade Winds with a following sea and the wind right on our stern. These are the conditions sailors wait months for and we have enjoyed the sunshine on deck that came with them. Last evening we crossed the Tropic of Cancer, so we are now officially in the tropics.
It is easy to get into the rhythm of these sea days when the ship is a little world of its own within the horizon circle. We did raise one ship today, a supertanker headed for Las Palmas, but otherwise we were alone with our thoughts and the rolling sea. We had plenty to keep us busy, with three talks, lunch and dinner on deck, the pleasant water of the pool and the warmth of the afternoon sun on the foredeck as we searched the water for signs of birds and other life.
In the evening before cocktails several of us gathered on the foredeck to partake in one of the great traditions of life at sea. One old captain I sailed with used to say that we go to sea for the sunrises and sunsets. We certainly see them all. At these latitudes every morning and evening involves the search for the Green Flash, a commonly observed phenomenon at sea caused by the refraction of the sun’s rays as they pass through the atmosphere. This evening we saw only a trace of this ephemeral flash, but we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and the company of our shipmates in these incredible surroundings.
