05°52'400N 078°37'850E
Having Laith and Bernard on board for the big leg from Fujairah was good for
company, but also as a couple of extra sets of eyes and hands for night
watches and pulling the occasional rope.
What I didn't figure on was that after a fair few days of this, I actually
found it quite stressful being solely in charge, responsible for all of the
key sailing, navigational and safety decisions.
That's one of the reasons I'm so happy to have my first mate back on board.
It is great having Helen here to offer a second opinion (and often a !), and
generally to share the responsibility with.?first opinion
She noticed last night that the steaming light about halfway up the mast isn't
working. Helen's also good at changing light bulbs... although she does
take some encouraging to do the ones high up. We'll wait until we're in
Galle for that little job- a following sea makes it just a little bit more
exciting than it needs to be.
Helen is about eighty percent of the way through her RYA Day Skipper Theory
qualification. I'd say that by the end of this passage, she'll be one of
the most experienced candidates in her class.
Most of all, it is great having someone to share the magic of the experience
with. We've had some stunning sunsets, dolphin shows most days, and then
there's just the awe of being out here so close to nature and so far from
civilisation. I often catch myself relaxing in the cockpit, a lazy eye on
the wind occasionally lifting the front of the sail, thinking just how much
I luff her...
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