Today has been my first ocean voyage on a sailboat. Alex has taken me sailing around the Sydney harbor a few times before and decided it was time to take a trip into the Pacific. Alex and I parked the Berrimilla II in Quarantine Bay last night to make for an easy launch up the coast. The trip north to Patonga beach in Broken Bay went fairly well. “Fairly” meaning I managed to keep myself in the boat and we avoided, only just, a collision with a sports fishing boat with an apparently not-all-present skipper. Somewhere between cursing at the boat and cutting down the fishing hooks that were swinging around the cockpit we both missed the name and registration of our near hit-and-runner. In the last 24 hours I have come across two major personal challenges. The first being the constant battle of sea sickness and the second being the self-education of how to properly piss on a moving boat. A bucket in the cockpit works well, but being tossed around in the ocean while sitting on a bucket feels like riding a mechanical bull while attempting to relieve one’s self. It goes against all instinct and I don’t imagine I will ever risk going to a rodeo bar again. The sea sickness is by far the worst part. While driving, Alex is always within a few seconds of the rudder to take over when I need a minute or two to heave over the side. I am learning a lot and having fun, sea sickness and all. I had an hour on shore at Patonga beach to balance myself again and fetch a couple of ice creams. We are heading out tonight for my first night sail back to Sydney.
The logs ramblings can be cryptic, so we have added: