Day 2: The Great Blargh Apparently Needs Better Onboarding
How quickly Jerry’s fortune can change!
The Intrepid Jerry is now a couple days out from Panama on his voyage to French Polynesia. Yesterday, Mel planned a very positive post, excited to report that Jerry’s crew successfully hoisted, doused, and rehoisted their brand new Quantum A3 asymmetrical spinnaker without incident, mostly. (They are not counting the bruising of a redhead. You count that, and nothing on a boat with redheads goes without incident.) Also, their new method of employing a quick-release shackle to free the tack before dousing went flawlessly. Nevertheless, Mel still eyed the spinnaker with suspicion. She thought something other-worldly must be manipulating the Laws of Spinnakers in Jerry’s favor. She attributed this luck to their fourth crewmember: The Great Blargh.
The Great Blargh’s role as good luck charm was correlated with a nice Atlantic crossing back in 2017. With Chief Morale Officer Penelope ashore at the moment, his services were needed for this voyage, and yesterday he was recommissioned, starting at Mate level. He’s going to have to earn his promotions.
Unfortunately, shortly after his appointment as Chief Mishap Deterrent, Calamity struck. Just 24 hours into the crossing, Mel discovered black mold all over her carrots and excessively warm temps in 2 of her 3 refrigeration units. Mel was reluctant to accuse Blargh of slacking off on the job, mainly because he just started back, and also because this problem probably stemmed from her own error of overstuffing the RV-sized fridge and freezer with provisions for 30 days.
Bored with messing just with the quartermaster, Calamity then moved on to the rigging. This morning, with a BAM!! originating in the heavens, the spinnaker halyard (the rope holding the sail up) chafed through at the top of the mast, and the whole sail came tumbling down. Greg and Jeremy strained their already protesting core muscles, sore from adapting to 3-5 ft seas, as they pulled the intact sail back on deck, weighed down by the 30 gallons of seawater gulped down by the dousing sock, which bears a striking resemblance to a feeding whale shark. Pull! Pull! Pull! And the carcass is now drying in the front cockpit.
For some reason this ordeal put Mel in the mood for a sea shanty.
Mel misses cruising with her kids. Crossing oceans with kids was more fun. Mel had an excuse to make a daily video about boat life starring an obese owl and cook up silly things like good luck charms. This time around, it is harder to blame her weirdness and affinity for stuffed animals on motherhood.
This embarrassing fact nevertheless did not stop Mel from attempting to appease Blargh on his first day on the job, as it was a doozie.
Let’s hope Blargh likes slightly warm cheese sticks.
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Boat stuff: Made about 355 nm in 48 hours. Downwind, mostly 12-17 kts apparent, but currently petering out as we approach the wind-less bald spot of the Pacific.
Dinner: Meatloaf.
Entertainment: Mel is learning French with Pimsleur and is practicing letting her tongue loll around in the doldrums of articulation.
