3/23/07
We have been getting to have little morning sails almost every day. Today we woke at seven, ate a quick breakfast, and set sail. The trades cooperated nearly perfectly, lulling only once, and briefly. I have an unofficial post I’ve adopted when we’re underway. I lean over the rail at the foredeck, arms crossed, and lose myself in the seas.
I watch the waves roll and reach and foam and breach with valleys and peaks like a thousand mountain ranges being constantly raised up and then toppled over, new ridges pushing up to replace those that just fell.
It is hypnotizing. It gets harder each day to imagine myself living on dry land for too long.

3/25/07
Found out today that our hot dogs come from Haiti. Not good news regarding an already dubious meat.

3/29/07
Accomplishment: Today I was asked by the mate to go aloft by myself and furl the main royal, something I have never done alone before. Despite the sail being whipped around by the strong winds I did it, and it was one of my neater stows as well. The best part was when I came down. Nobody said anything. It was just expected of me to be able to do that. A minute later the mate came back to me and asked me to furl the gaff tops’le, something I have never done period, alone or not. I did it (alone) and came down to no fanfare.
It feels good to be in a place where I am pushed as hard as I push myself. I have become uneasy with accepting praise for doing what I was supposed to do. It has always left me feeling strange. Here, that doesn’t happen, though it is not because of callousness between crew. This crew is as tight a group of co-workers as I have ever come across. There is little bickering though there are many types of personalities, and it is easy to see that everyone genuinely cares for each other.

P.S. Saw a dolphin leap out of the water off our port quarter at about six this morning. Not more than 20 feet away. It was the perfect way to punctuate a morning that opened with a spectacular sunrise of pinks and purples and robin’s-egg clouds silhouetting the cliffs of the southern edge of the island. What a great job.