Jeremiah rings the ship's bell sharply, rousing me from sleep to start the midnight to 04:00 watch. We are sailing close to the wind, the boat bucking off the waves, slapping down dramatically onto and into the next wave. I struggle to move around in the pounding, jerking, lurching environment, the boat heeled sharply over to stbd, making just moving around difficult, much more trying to do something that requires letting go with one hand, like putting on a shirt. I finally get my shoes on, don the safety harness, once again safely manage a cup of coffee, fumble my way up the companionway to stand in the cockpit looking forward over the dodger top.
And it is a transformation! The ocean is even with well formed waves, not rough at all. Wind about 15kts pushing against the sails. Full moon shining between the occasional clouds. Advent is moving gracefully across the ocean's surface, rising on one wave, dropping down the other side to part the next, sending spray out to the sides. The heel, so dramatic belowdecks, feels perfectly normal seeing the motion of the boat in the waves. Advent is competently doing what she does best. She seems to say, "I was made for this. I am happy." I am struck by the black and white beauty of it all. The whiteness of the full moon shimmering on the b lack ocean surface. We are here, living with turmoil and beauty at the same time. Nowhere else exists.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
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