Just another day in our lives

Well, we’re 11 days in. 1401 nautical miles down range. 242 hours 49 minutes, average speed 5.8 knots for the trip, max speed 12.6 knots (surfing down a wave). But hey, who’s counting?

By 0630 this morning we were all up and about. Sun’s up, and it promises to be a pretty day after a squall ridden night. Some pretty heavy rain has left JollyDogs all sweet smelling and clean. On the outside. Inside is a bit different. Not quite like a bomb went off (that’s for when Captain Mark is doing any project required tools or spares stowed under the saloon settee), just a bit messy and time for a clean.

Thad got the ball rolling by doing a bucket of laundry. A few years back Isabel purchased a collapsible bucket and a fancy plunger thing that makes hand washing a lot less hassle.

Thad’s efforts inspired Isabel to do the same with our own stinky clothes. That motivated Mark to get the watermaker up and running to top us back up a bit after yesteday’s showers and all the laundry water. Besides, the wind pooped out this morning, so we stowed the main sail around dawn and we’re motoring along on the starboard engine with the Gori prop in overdrive. Doing a respectable 6+ knots across mother Earth.

Now there’s clean, wet laundry hanging all over the cockpit area, making movement a little bit challenging. As that’s no real hill for a climber, we’ve deployed the fishing lines, a squidlet on one and a spankin’ new cedar plug on the other. Isabel demands that Neptune recognize her birthday, however belatedly, and fresh fish is on tonight’s dinner menu.

All we need is a fresh fish.

The seas are pretty calm and the sky isn’t threatening. No splashing around from waves impacting us, so we’ve got every hatch open and all the fans going, airing this puppy out. By afternoon JollyDogs will be all spic and span, and we’ll have freshly laundry, and if we’re really lucky a tasty fish.

Isabel is scrambling some eggs for breakfast. Smells good! We’ll get a few calories in our bods to recover from the morning’s exertions.

Just another routine day when you live on a little sailboat. Big sailboats have generators, washers and dryers and air conditioning. But we’re not jealous.

Well, maybe just a little. . .