Thought it might be interesting to note down what it is we (or I) do all day on a passage as I know many of you question the length of time and how boring it must be. After looking at this schedule, I don't think boring is a word I would use to describe it. On this particular day of recording, here's what happened:
8th July 2014
Midnight- my night watch begins. Put on warm pants and a jumper with inflatable life jacket (with safety harness) over the top. No wet weather gear needed tonight, quite mild really.
Pass the time til 3 am by mixing dough ready to bake bread ( am currently using Bread in 5 recipe, so no kneading involved), reading in the cockpit ( Joel and I have taken to reading the same book at the same time, at the moment it's Lee Child's One Shot, more his thing but it's a book) and doing 2 logbook entries one at 0100 and then 0300 hrs. Of course there's also the obligatory look around every 10-15 minutes, keeping an eye on the radar and other instruments and and watching the wind direction etc to do.
0300 - Wake Joel for start of his watch.
0320-0600 - sleep on couch in saloon tonight until girls call for me in the morning, which has been at 6am most mornings. We changed the clocks yesterday, trying to keep up with the time zones as we cross them, so we are up in the dark this morning.
0630 - Put bread in oven
0700 - go to take bread out and realize the gas has gone out. Joel then dons life jacket and tether and goes to retrieve a new gas bottle from the foredeck where it is lashed to the lifelines.
0730 - boat lurches sending cereal container and it's contents to the floor. Bugger!
Pour milk into bowls and after first mouthful realize it's gone sour. Breathe deeply and start over getting another 3 bowls of cereal ( Joel doesn't eat it and now has to wait on bread to finish cooking) and a new container of milk ( albeit room temperature, it's better than cold and sour).
0900 - Joel goes to have a nap and the girls and I entertain ourselves. I wash dishes ( last nights' as well, as it was too rough to attempt them).
1000 - get girls a snack ( tortilla chips and diced peach cup)
1030 - write in journal in cockpit to keep an eye on things, water, wind, sails and our miles to go!
1100 - activity with the girls. After my alone time in the cockpit I went to discover they had been 'practicing' using their scissors and little bits of paper were all over the saloon. So we made a collage and stuck the little bits to another piece of paper. A simple and quite effective way to clean up it turns out.
1130 - Joel wakes up and begins to prepare lunch. Girls and I do coloring and sticker books in cockpit.
1200 - lunch. Fresh bread sandwiches with ham and cheese ( again). I bought so much I don't think we'll ever run out.
1300 - had a wave over the bow and now our head ( bathroom) has two inches of water sloshing around in it. Joel must have opened the hatch again since the last time this happened. So mop that up with a ShamWow and shake my head at him.
1330-1530 - Joel takes girls for a nap which means he might get forty more winks himself and I get on with chores. Hand wash some cloths that have been used to wipe and mop up everything lately. As I pour the liquid soap out, a wave sends the bottle over and the stuff goes everywhere, enough for twenty loads! Quickly I wash it all away and let the cloths soak for a bit. Clean up from lunch and finally have some quiet reading time to myself. Phew!
1530-1600 - girls wake. Snacks and cuddles demanded. Have a dancing session - they both love music and seem to find a rhythm or beat beat whatever the style. At the moment they like BB King (a favourite of Joel's) - they ask for it by name and can turn on the stereo themselves.
1700 - start preparing dinner. Shepherds pie tonight. Using the last of the fresh mince, and with canned mushrooms and mixed vegetables it is really good.
Girls go and play with Joel in the cockpit and I can hear them explaining to him how the colouring and sticker books work.
1800 - eat dinner in cockpit with strong breeze and watch the sun set.
1900 - start bedtime routine with girls, and sleep til midnight. Joel washes up and starts his night watch.
Wake up at midnight and begin all over again. It is consuming and really the days just roll by. Joel and I are having a secret battle on the iPad at the moment during our night watch. He has taken to playing a card game during his night watch. So I then make it a mission to beat his high scores during my watch to give him a challenge for his next shift! What a thoughtful wife I am, wouldn't want him to get bored!