Captain saw the birds

Yesterday’s sailing remained relatively calm, and we spent a couple of minutes and some hot water trying, without success, to get the main traveler to move more than a few millimeters. Even that much took a hammer. In the evening, the wind started clocking west, so a little after sunset we furled the jib and motor-sailed to get closer to the wind. That’s about when three sea birds landed on the port bow rail. Captain noticed them maybe an hour later, at which point we had to close the doors and side windows to keep him from making a dangerous approach. We have long wondered whether his under-way caution or his BIRD impulse would win; now we know.

At shift change, Andrew came out of the bathroom followed closely by a particular smell, announced “my watch has ended”, and took his freshly scrubbed self to bed. That left Jazz to go into the bathroom and deal with Captain’s second shit of this voyage to date. We think he was saving it up especially for us, because it had quite the complex bouquet.

We motor-sailed until Andrew’s next shift, by which point the wind was starting to veer south again. We put the jib back up and have been sailing since, through two squalls that dumped rain without much extra wind. Seas remain rough, and pretty-girl-in-the-bar rules are in effect: no putting your drink down unless it has a lid. At least we’re making good time.

3267 miles left on the rhumb line.

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