[password]waiknot
[position]25 14S 169 37E

[status]
Very calm conditions today meant a chance to fix some things that have broken down along the way. The traveller for the jib sheet block and the salt water pump are now up and running again. Alas we lost the autopilot last night, either the pump or the motor has given up and cannot dismantle it to investigate or we will lose hydraulic steering altogether. Will wait until we are in a bay. Back to hand steering for the next few days at least - but we had our apprenticeship in that last year so we are getting good at it by now! About 300 NMile to Aneityum now, so should arrive early Monday morning.

[weather]
50% cloud, high cloud only now (we are out of the grey blanket of could we had this morning)Wind dropped to 9 knots NNE so now motor sailing at 6 knots heading 320M approx. Swell 0.5m

[blog]
title:Sea Sickness and the Jello Brain
Sea sickness seems to manifest itself in different ways with different people. Some barf, others run to the loo for issues at the other end. Heather and Karl both get lethargic for a couple of days but don't have huge problems with body fluids escaping in any violent fashion. Apart from just wanting to sleep when off watch in the first couple of days, I (this is Heather talking now) have noticed some strange things happen to my brain when we go offshore (i've never been sea sick in my life in coastal boating). I feel OK for the first 8-10 hours, well, no different to normal. Then things start to slow down. Everything. My brain seems to slowly turn to jello. Within 24 hours of leaving port, my neural pathways feel like they are clogged with molasses. Even the most simple tasks, like putting on my harness the right way around or working out our average speed over the day - become a mammoth effort. I can sit staring at a chart for 10 minutes trying to work something out and discover tha
t I am no further ahead - in fact I forget what it was I was trying to figure out in the first place. Nothing makes sense anymore! For a couple of days I seem to be blessed with the data processing powers of road kill. Then, on day 3, i wake up from one of my off watch naps and suddenly find the fug has cleared. Those little neurons are firing on all 2 cylinders again and my data processing speed rockets up to the sub planktonian levels I usually have. If anyone knows the reason why my brain turns to jello for the first couple of days - and if anyone has any suggestions to help, it would be much appreciated. Polite suggestions only please :-)

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