Day 42, Year 1: Ride ‘em Cowboys
Date: Monday, November 28, 2005
Weather: Bumpy Ride with Winds SE 25
Location: Passage from Norfolk to St. Martin, Day 2

Yesterday afternoon as we headed south out of the Chesapeake with an east wind, we were what I call hobby horsing. Later in the night as we approached the Gulf Stream, the hobby horsing switched to bucking bronco level. And that is still where we are. The winds are strong, a good 25 knots from the southeast. The seas in the Gulf Stream would be manageable if we were headed north of east but trying to go south and east is not easy. We are still motoring, trying to get out of the Gulf Stream as soon as possible, but even when we exit we are going to have to head more easterly toward Bermuda. It was our original intent to go there on the way to St. Martin, and original intent might just win out.

Nightfall comes at 1700 out here, and since the crescent moon doesn’t rise until the middle of the night, it is very dark until then. I am on first watch tonight and Mark will come on around 1000. I guess you have noticed that I have switched to “marine” time. If you are not familiar with it, 0100 (say oh-one hundred) is 1:00 am, 0200 is 2:00 am and on to 2400, which is midnight. By 0600 tomorrow morning I am looking for smoother sailing. I’ll keep you posted.

Back in the early 1970’s, we quit our professional jobs and became “back to the landers” for a few years. Our theme song back then was Jerry Jeff Wallker’s rendition of LA Freeway . . . If you can just get me off of this LA Freeway without getting’ killed or caught . . . and that’s how I feel out the Gulf Stream. Somebody out there needs to write a new song for me.