April Journal

April 28, 2008  Ann's Journal notes:           

We just got into the Seattle WA area yesterday after six days of (almost) non-stop passage from Dana Point.  We had Brad, our Nordhavn salesman, and Jeff Howe from MN on the boat with us.  Jeff got off on Saturday in Oregon but we only stopped for 15 minutes to let him off and buy milk.  The weather was just too good to stop and we wanted to take advantage of it.  We had smooth sailing almost the entire way - except for about a twelve hour stretch rounding Point Conception off the coast of CA the second day out. 

 

Since we've been off the boat for so long I had been wondering about my sea legs - or more aptly, my sea stomach.  On our three trips out to Catalina I had been just fine so I'm thinking I'll be okay.  But Eric kept building up what a "crash and bash" this trip could be and I know that I was nervous going into it.  We waited two days for good weather, which just convinced me more that the weather would be bad.  So nervous going in....  and I'd been fighting an ear ache/head ache for the past couple of weeks.  But I mostly ignored the symptoms as they would come and go.  As the trip neared, it came more than it went.  End result:  Even though the seas were flat, I was "flat" out for most of first three days then partially prone the next couple and finally functioning the last day.  Today I finally went to the doctor to solve the ear/head pain and he diagnosed a sinus infection - which didn't surprise me at all.  With drugs, I hope for it to be gone soon.

 

Bear, on the other hand, LOVED the big waves and wished there had been more, for two reasons:  1.  He got to sleep in our big bed so he wouldn't roll out of his and 2. The waves were so much fun - it was like being on a roll-a-coaster!  He was bouncing all over the pilot house bunk, whooping it up.  He has never shown any sign of the seas affecting him in any negative way.  He is so lucky!  He took good care of me though.  He was my errand boy.  I'd ask for anything and he'd run and get it for me.  If he could have only peed for me, I wouldn't have had to ever get up!  I was wondering how he would do cooped up for so long without getting off the boat.  Opposite from what I expected, he actually calmed down the longer we were aboard.  By the last day I thought we'd be climbing the walls with him, but he was mellow and loving it.  I think he really liked all the undistracted attention from us.  We kept him on his regular school and sleep schedule as much as possible.  It went well.

On our way past San Francisco, we hooked up with Seabird, a Nordhavn 62 who is planning the trip to Alaska this summer as well.  Most of our relationship with Carol and Steve was our faceless correspondence over channel 72 on the radio during the last five days of the trip.  It wasn't until we both had tied up at Port Angeles that we put faces with the voices.  We had dinner that evening and immediately hit it off!  Sadly, they moved on early this morning to Seattle.  We hope our paths cross again soon.