Kristiansund

Current Location: Kristiansund, Norway (340 NM southwest of Bodo)

Current Coordinates: 63 07 09 N 007 42 45 E

Next Stop: Alesund, Norway (75 NM south)

Listening: "Ultravisitor," by Squarepusher (see "PS")

Quick General Update: I am now in Kristiansund, Norway after my very first sea passage of 340 nautical miles. I am very tired, and I believe that the sea sickness that set in within hours of leaving Bodo has cost me a few pounds. I'm feeling resilient though, regenerated by new scenery and the probability that Gitana will be in Scotland within the next week or so. Even if Scotland doesn't have better weather, at least it will cost me less than 12 bucks for a decent draft beer. We encountered Beaufort force 6 seas on the way down which is consistent with 25-30 knot winds. We are now exactly 1/4 of the way to Cork, Ireland. Skipper MJ continues to be a hardass, an even more exaggerated version of himself at sea. Our autohelm malfunctioned about 20 NM's outside of Bodo so we were forced to steer by compass the entire distance between the two ports. This meant that Skipper was barking at the helmsman from the hatch above his berth beneath the cockpit every 5 minutes for about 57 hours--"you're off course!!!!!"

I'm learning quite a bit about Gitana, my shipmates, navigation, and myself along the way.

There is much more that I'd like to add, but I'm limited by the availability of internet access and the amount of energy that I have left after a day of keeping up with the pace of things. For instance, I need to tell you all about John Charles "Jack" Nye--the third member of our crew who served in the Royal Navy during WWII and then moved to Canada where he started his own steel fabricating business. Jack is 84 years old and has the energy and enthusiasm that you would expect from someone my age. An eternal optimist, Jack finds commensurate truth in the neoclassical wit of Alexander Pope "hope springs eternal" and the often base and offensive language of the many limericks and bawdy maxims he recites regularly. I can't do him the justice that he deserves in just one paragraph, so wait for another entry on "Gentleman Jack" to come soon. A real Dickensian character, that man.

I also need to tell you about the experience of being at sea. Quite a bit has gone through my mind during the several 4 hour watches I have done so far. More to come once I reach Alesund.

--Paul

"The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows."

--Frank Zappa, 1940-1993

PS--Think of your fondest memory of being young and then listen to this.