Friday report

DAY 15 FRI 0730 @ 11:50PM HAWAII TIME [STEVE PROTESTING THAT WE SHOULD CHANGE
SHIP TIME TO PST. HATES 3AM SUNRISE...JUST ISN'T RIGHT HE SAYS. HAD TO FLOG HIM
FOR INSUBORDINATION...STILL BLEEDING...THEY NEVER LEARN!!!]
POSITION: 40-47N, 136-05W, CSE: 100DEG T, SPD: 6KNOTS, DISTANCE TO GO: 656NM.
GETTING CLOSE.
WE ARE DEFINITELY IN THE SHIPPING LANES. IN TOTAL WE HAVE SEEN ABOUT 10
CONTAINER SHIPS WITHIN A FEW MILES. THIS CAN BE A LITTLE NERVE RACKING WHEN
THEY COME THIS CLOSE. RADAR IS OUR FRIEND INDEED. YOU SEE, YOU DON'T KNOW IF
THEY CAN SEE YOU OR NOT. THEY NEVER SEEM TO ANSWER THEIR VHF RADIO WHEN
HAILED...LANGUAGE CAN ALSO BE A PROBLEM. ANYWAY, IT'S PART OF THE WATCH DUTIES.
WE'VE BEEN DOING MORE SAILING THAN EXPECTED CONSIDERING OUR PROXIMITY TO THE
PACIFIC HIGH. WE FLEW THE SPINNAKER TODAY, UNFORTUNATELY ON OUR LAST DOWSE
[TAKING HER DOWN] A SMALL RIP OCCURRED IN A HIGH LOAD AREA, SO NO MORE
SPINNAKER FOR THE REST OF THE PASSAGE. WE COULD HAVE USED IT ANOTHER DAY OR
TWO, BUT NOT MUCH MORE. OH WELL!!!
HEY, ANY LIGHT SLEEPERS OUT THERE??? IMAGINE THIS...
-6 LINES INSIDE THE MAST BANGIN' AROUND...SLAPITY SLAP SLAP DOINGGG
-WATER SPLASHING AGAINST THE HULL...SWISHITY SWOOSH SPLAT
-NOISE EMANATING FROM YOUR WET LOCKER...K K KLUNK
-AUTOPILOT AUTOPILOTING...ZIT ZIT ZIT WHHRRRR ZIT WHHRRRRRRR ZIT
-ENGINE RUNNING...DEGADEGADEGADEGABURPFARTDEGADEGA
-GENSET RUNNING...DIGADIGABURPFARTDIGADIGADIGADIAG
-WATERMAKER RUNNING...SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
-LIGHT WINDS: SAILS SLAPPING....THHHWACK THWWWWACK
-STRONG WINDS: WHAT I CAN'T HEAR YOU
-KETTLE BOILING...MAKE YOUR OWN NOISE HERE...OURS IS HIGH PITCHED WHISTLE
-PLASTIC BOTTLES BEING CRUSHED...CRAKLE CRAKLE CRAKLE [THEY DO THIS ON
PURPOSE...SCURVY BASTARDS]
-SNORING...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
AT ANY ONE TIME, YOU CAN HEAR AT LEAST 4 OF THESE SOUNDS. WHEN I HIT THE BUNK,
IT'S ALWAYS AT LEAST 6. AMAZINGLY YOU DO EVENTUALLY FALL ASLEEP.
OK, SO THAT'S MY OFFERING FOR THE DAY.
THE SKIPPER