Captain's Log
Captain's Log August 2006The places you'll go, the things you'll see
There are many good reasons for climbing aboard your cruisingboat and heading out for new landfalls, but to our minds thepure joy of making new discoveries about our watery planettops the list.
Sunset at sea often paints the sky with a wild palette of reds andpurples that you rarely see on land. If you are lucky you may see theelusive "green flash" across the western sky as the sun dips belowthe horizon. Or, if you are sailing in the tropics during a full moon,you may witness the amazing sight of a simultaneous sunset andmoonrise at right about 6 p.m.
Sunset can be awesome, but for new sailors, tired and damp aftera long watch, sunrise holds even more wonder. The eastern skybegins to grow slightly lighter and the clouds are first light gray andthen pale yellow and then an amazing shade of pink. When the topof the sun finally breaks the horizon, the new day is born andeveryone on deck shares the sense that the wind has died a little,that the sea has flattened and that all will be well with the little shipand her crew.
Dolphin often come to swim in the bow wave of a cruising boaton passage, and they invariably are curious about the humans ondeck and will roll on their sides as they pass to inspect us with thoseknowing and intelligent eyes. Who knows what thoughts run throughtheir large mammalian brains?
If there are dolphin then there will be fish around, so you may belucky enough to hook a tuna, wahoo or dorado on the trolling linethat will feed the crew handsomely and may fill the freezer as well.The first time you see a whale at sea you may well be humbled byits vastness and the speed it can travel. Encounter a pod of orcas or apair of sperm whales and you will appreciate to whom the oceanstruly belong.
At sea, shore birds that have lost their way often light on the boatfor a rest and then set off again on their uncertain ways. You will seepetrels and shearwaters. If you sail far enough south into the higherlatitudes you may earn a visit from a magnificent great southernalbatross; the giant birds with 10-foot wingspans cruise the wave topseffortlessly and stare curiously at boats and crews sailing throughtheir vast territories.
Of all the wonders and pleasures of an ocean passage, the highlightfor many of us remains the cry of "Land Ho" and the sight oflandfall emerging from the pale light of dawn with all the promise ofnew discoveries ashore and the sense of satisfaction of an oceanpassage completed safely.
All you have to do is cut loose the mooring lines and go.
Fair winds,
