First Sailing Days
It's been 10 days since we gathered at the good ship Mehitabel, and we're learning all sorts of things about living on this 40-foot, junk-rigged ship. My crew-mates are Pim and Josje, a hard-working, fun-loving couple from Holland, and the skipper is Uncle Kurt. Uncle Kurt is an expert seaman and navigator, who owns electronic commodities, but believes strongly in not relying solely on them. He has sailed whole swaths of ocean passages successfully navigating with just a sextant and the stars. We are learning how to handle the sails and lines, to radio in to the coast guard in case of emergency, and how to handle the dingy. There are so many natural wonders here: the Southern Cross glows in the sky and the the "false cross" glows more dully nearby. For several days, little "welcome swallows" have landed on the ship's rails in the early morning - flitting here and there. We've also been told to keep an eye out for the bio-luminescence which com...