I might be hallucinating

February 14^th. Maybe the news of the change of route animated me, I was feeling stupendous. Of course I was back to the cockpit, my now officially bedroom, but this time I grabbed a book, because I discovered that distracting my brain from the actual situation I felt better. Talking about entertainment! Jim keeps fishing lines out and in the middle of the struggle with the motor he caught a skip-jack tuna, very fat. It was a fight to pull it in the boat and a big mess to clean, but we ate good sushimi.

Our joy didn't last too much, the engine was still fighting with the dirty fuel. And we were using our last filter. The big issue was: “It's the boat going to make it to Dominica?” It was hard to watch the island just 3 miles away... We were both exhausted, but Jim needed to rest from that crazy night. He looked at me and said: “I'm sorry, but if keep having problems we can still sail to St Lucia. We'll have the wind”. My mother always says: “If you are riding on a donkey, your only choice is hit it with the stick to make it walk”. In other words: “we've already gotten this far... a 100 more miles are not going to kill us. We'll make it!” So he started doing some work on the sails up on the deck and while I was watching him I started to talk to the boat:

“Salty Shores, from now on, your body is my body,

and I'm part of you, like you are part of myself.

If you go down on a wave, I'll go with you, and

when you come back to the surface, I'll stand by you,

'cause we are just one assemblage.

From this moment the ocean, you and me

share the same spirit, we are all harmony and waves

dancing on this Universe of peace.

And the wind is the master of our sails,

that are not sails any more, but wings,

if you fly, I'll ride on you,

'cause sea, wind, you and me, are the same thing.

Salty Shores, I'll vibrate in the same chord

of your strings, don't leave your heart give up

for one lost battle, your pack still believe in you.”

It was near the sunset when we picked up a mooring in Portsmouth, Dominica. I don't know where Jim got energies from, to jump in the water and clean the bottom of the boat. Chocolate!

AnechyNotes

February the 13th

We witnessed a moonrise between the clouds that looked like a half of an orange in a magical fruit basket. Then Jim showed me the plankton sparkling on the waves created by our vessel. Our sails were up and ready for the wind to get in the perfect direction. I was nauseous, so I laid down and tried to sleep, but instead I kept hearing voices and having creepy dreams of creatures coming from the water and talking in weird languages. I opened my eyes feeling I couldn't breath, I saw the number 17, in the wind instrument reader, but I was immerse in the strange dream of the seasickness, fighting with my mind to stay awake and with my stomach to keep in the little bit of food I could have for dinner.

Suddenly the engine made an strange noise, like lion roaring on his lost battle, hurt and humiliated on front of its group. That was appalling. But I couldn't help myself staying up there. My body was shaking, I needed to lay down. In my way to the cabin Jim said he had to change the fuel filter. Felling bad for not being able to help I crawled to the bed and passed out. In my dreams I could hear the engine sounding better and again bad, I also heard Jim's voice like faraway whisper, asking me if I was OK, or saying he had to change the filter again, or he needed to transfer the gas from the tank to the fuel cans, later on he said he filtered it while he was putting it back in the tank, I know some time of the night he said very emotional: “We are high speed sailing!”

It was a horrible night for us, making honor to a February 13^th.

I opened my eyes at 9 o' clock, Jim looked so tired and I was a mess, the acids on my stomach were killing me, I had to run up to throw out. Jim looked at me and announce me the very good news that he had changed course to Dominica. “We have a bad gas and I only have one filter left, and you are not doing good”. He sentenced.

I wanted my oat brand bread.

AnechyNotes

Anechy in seasick land

February 13^th. I woke up in the morning too late for the sunrise, Jim told me it was spectacular. Anyway, I was feeling proud of my guarding the night before, while the Captain was sleeping, even when I called him twice for a boat passing by 20 miles away.

It was a beautiful day and I was recuperated and ready for the adventure on the cockpit. My stomach was talking again, but this time it was yelling: “FOOD!” We had a very good selection in the refrigerator, but I couldn't think of anything that wouldn't made me feel sick. The savers of my day were an apple and “Wendie's Oat Brand Bread”.

I literally spent all day in the cockpit.

Another beautiful sunset announced the arrived of the night. The wind was shifting and picking up. The possibility of sailing sounded great to me, because the vibration of the engine was my Aquiles' heel. I stayed guarding from 6:30 to 9:40pm. Salty Shores was moving with an intense up and down against 4 to 6 feet waves. When Jim woke up I wanted to go back to the cabin and sleep, but a wedge pillow and a blanket in my cockpit looked like a better idea to me.

“This is a harsh way to travel, it is easier to rent a car or take a plane.” My Captain said. “But it's less exciting” I answered.

It will continue...

AnechyNotes