I had the midnight-4am watch last night. It was a very dark watch as there were mostly clouds overhead and no moon. We’re not convinced we’re in the tropics yet, despite being at 19 degrees latitude: the wind is quite chilly and we are still wearing fleece pants and foulie jackets at night. So last night I got out our sleeping bag and wrapped it around me in the cockpit at 2 am. My sleepiness faded as I put on my favorite Ulrich Schnauss album and got lost in the music and the motion of Wondertime charging along in the phosphorescent-lit waves.
By nearly 4 am however, my eyes were getting very heavy and I’d feel them close for a few seconds before they’d pop back open with the memory that it wasn’t time to sleep, just yet. Then suddenly, through the blurriness I saw streaks of light beside the boat. I was immediately up and wide awake; dolphins had come for a night visit! As they swam along with Wondertime, darting this way and that they left trails of light behind them. Simply awesome. I yelled down at Michael and Matt to come up and watch too, and they did. I watched the amazing dolphin light show for another ten minutes, then went down to sleep. As I tucked myself into an empty berth I could hear their squeaks through the hull as they continued to play. The perfect lullaby.
Total miles at noon: 374
Rain and wind squalls passed through: 3
Rainbows seen: 4
Super-ripe cantaloupes eaten: 2
Squashed and moldy tomatoes tossed: 7
Loaves of fresh sourdough bread baked and eaten: 1
