S/V Nereid Log
Day 1: The Adventure Begins: March 30, 2006
Well, it looks like the weather has finally cooperated and given us a window of opportunity to get out of Dodge. We have been in Puerto Vallarta for three months and it’s time to be moving on. Our progress in this adventure can be tracked on the Internet along with that of other vessels at sea by going to Google search and entering Pangolin, Yotreps; from there, you can find a list of vessels at sea. They are listed by boat name and call sign. We are on the Nereid and our call sign is KD7ZUD.
You can also see Ross and Laura’s progress in New Dawn, which is out about 1,100 miles, as they have been at sea eight days. The entire passage is approximately 2,800 miles to our first landfall in the Marquesas Islands and usually takes seventeen to twenty-eight days, depending on a variety of factors such as weather, equipment failure, etc. Whatever happens, this April is going to be a very exciting month. We can be reached with short messages at sea by email to KD7ZUD@winlink.org or when in port at rayjudye@gmail.com.
We had a successful first night and, after an uncomfortable adjustment to her new seasick meds, Judy is doing much better. The seas are a bit rolling, but there is enough wind to do 5 to 5.5 knots. The 0.5 translates to a significant distance over the length of this voyage—as much as 300 miles. Not going to get much email out this day, as too many things to check out. Our wind generator is producing for the first time and will reduce the need to run the engine to charge the batteries. After last night with the auto pilot, radar and frig all demanding their shares of the pie, there is going to be some greater expectation from “windy.” It looks like he will perform. The first twenty-four hours always produce the greatest anxiety level with so many systems coming into play after a long rest in port. Typing on the computer is going to be a bit more challenging in this rock-and-roll scenario.
Day 1: The Adventure Begins: March 30, 2006
Well, it looks like the weather has finally cooperated and given us a window of opportunity to get out of Dodge. We have been in Puerto Vallarta for three months and it’s time to be moving on. Our progress in this adventure can be tracked on the Internet along with that of other vessels at sea by going to Google search and entering Pangolin, Yotreps; from there, you can find a list of vessels at sea. They are listed by boat name and call sign. We are on the Nereid and our call sign is KD7ZUD.
You can also see Ross and Laura’s progress in New Dawn, which is out about 1,100 miles, as they have been at sea eight days. The entire passage is approximately 2,800 miles to our first landfall in the Marquesas Islands and usually takes seventeen to twenty-eight days, depending on a variety of factors such as weather, equipment failure, etc. Whatever happens, this April is going to be a very exciting month. We can be reached with short messages at sea by email to KD7ZUD@winlink.org or when in port at rayjudye@gmail.com.
We had a successful first night and, after an uncomfortable adjustment to her new seasick meds, Judy is doing much better. The seas are a bit rolling, but there is enough wind to do 5 to 5.5 knots. The 0.5 translates to a significant distance over the length of this voyage—as much as 300 miles. Not going to get much email out this day, as too many things to check out. Our wind generator is producing for the first time and will reduce the need to run the engine to charge the batteries. After last night with the auto pilot, radar and frig all demanding their shares of the pie, there is going to be some greater expectation from “windy.” It looks like he will perform. The first twenty-four hours always produce the greatest anxiety level with so many systems coming into play after a long rest in port. Typing on the computer is going to be a bit more challenging in this rock-and-roll scenario.
Judy’s Observations
Twenty-five days at sea…it changes a person. Physically, the changes are everywhere to be seen. Weeks without tweezing, shaving, filing, cuticle crème, lotion or night crème leave the body with a whole new look. I accidentally saw myself in the bathroom mirror and wondered, who is this person? Thank goodness we don’t have a full-length mirror!
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen my real eyebrows before. The best word to describe them is huge, or maybe very black, or wild. Glancing at my legs in the sunny cockpit was shocking. It’s that very black, wild hair again. I have to touch them to make sure they are my legs and not Ray’s. They’re mine all right! But they look more like a movie prop, maybe for The Return of the Werewolf. Hair on my toes…yes, and from ankle to knee. In among the inch-long, slightly curly black hairs are fuzzy white hairs. Kind of like Mary’s little lamb.
My eyes go back to my feet, and for a moment, I think I must have leprosy. The skin on my feet is peeling off in layers, mostly the soles and in between my toes. Something must be done, so I take my second cockpit shower of the day. This time I really scrub. But there is no end to the shedding skin. I finally give up for today. Our feet are wet a lot.
By now Ray’s feet are ultra clean, to the point that they look like he’s had a French manicure…the kind with very white tips. His beard is much longer and fuller, looks a lot like Hemmingway’s. Back to me…do I just go au naturel, the real Judy, or do I wait for that anchor to drop and get out my tools and go to work? Hmmmm.
Twenty-five days at sea…it changes a person. Physically, the changes are everywhere to be seen. Weeks without tweezing, shaving, filing, cuticle crème, lotion or night crème leave the body with a whole new look. I accidentally saw myself in the bathroom mirror and wondered, who is this person? Thank goodness we don’t have a full-length mirror!
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen my real eyebrows before. The best word to describe them is huge, or maybe very black, or wild. Glancing at my legs in the sunny cockpit was shocking. It’s that very black, wild hair again. I have to touch them to make sure they are my legs and not Ray’s. They’re mine all right! But they look more like a movie prop, maybe for The Return of the Werewolf. Hair on my toes…yes, and from ankle to knee. In among the inch-long, slightly curly black hairs are fuzzy white hairs. Kind of like Mary’s little lamb.
My eyes go back to my feet, and for a moment, I think I must have leprosy. The skin on my feet is peeling off in layers, mostly the soles and in between my toes. Something must be done, so I take my second cockpit shower of the day. This time I really scrub. But there is no end to the shedding skin. I finally give up for today. Our feet are wet a lot.
By now Ray’s feet are ultra clean, to the point that they look like he’s had a French manicure…the kind with very white tips. His beard is much longer and fuller, looks a lot like Hemmingway’s. Back to me…do I just go au naturel, the real Judy, or do I wait for that anchor to drop and get out my tools and go to work? Hmmmm.