Geared up like Rambo one day, making bread the next

Position 37:12N 35:02W, 300miles west of the Azores, North Atlantic

Half from the nervousness, half from the excitement, adrenaline wakes you up and makes you come to your senses extraordinarily fast when someone yells "Reef!" into the cabin. "Reef!" is what the person on watch yells out when the wind starts gusting too high for the amount of sail you have up, and a reef needs to be put into the sail (making it a smaller sail) in order to reduce the risk of the boat flipping over. When the wind blows strong like this, it makes all very exhilarating, yet gives you more uneasiness at the same time.

During the night watch shifts we are geared up like Rambo. A harness is worn at all times and strapped unto something wherever you go on the boat. On your wrist is the light beacon, and strapped onto your harness is the GPS locator. It gives you some sense of security, but as Eric says, when you sit on watch for hours on end through the night, you can help but think that if you went overboard while everyone else slumbered below, it would seem like you would be gone forever all too quickly.

You are on watch for 3 hours and then off for 6 hours. Every fourth day it is your turn to be "Mother" and you have no watch shift but are responsible for the cooking and cleaning. Eric and I are learning some more domestic arts as well and often make fresh baked bread from scratch! As we have been introducing each other (Matt and Pat are from the UK) to more things from each others culture, Eric takes on the burden of helping them get acquainted with fine American cuisine. Yesterday he made Peanut Butter and Jelly, and earlier made some good ole' fashion Jello.

We should see land on Friday! We will spend a few days at the Azores and then head out for probably another 6 days until we get to Portugal.

Jonathan