Monday, August 19, 2013

Almost to the Barn

Nomad has raced to the California coast like a horse to its barn at feeding time.  We had thought that a good run would be 20 to 21 days.  However, they will be anchoring at the Farallon Islands this afternoon, only 17 days after their departure from Hanalei Bay.  This is a situation in which we are thankful for fossil fuels.  They ended up motoring for at least 7 days out of the 17.  They would have been becalmed 1000 miles away from California without the 200 gallons of diesel we carry aboard.  Brian and Mike are heading toward Fishermans Cove on Southeast Island.  We've anchored there once before.
It might have been 7 years ago... Karson was aboard.  We pulled into the anchorage past a research vessel tossing a fake surfboard looking device into the ocean.  Some sort of camera device was involved.  Shark research we presumed.  We pulled into the anchorage.  There was no wind and the guano stench was oppressive in the heat.  To add to the ambience, hoardes of small flies filled our cockpit and cabin.  To escape them, we placed our bug screens over the entrances and retreated inside the boat where we killed the remaining flies and sweltered in the stagnant air.  Karson decided to go for a swim.  Brian and I thought that sounded refreshing but maybe not a good idea due to our location in the "Red Triangle."  Karson was almost done changing into swim trunks and we finally convinced him not to go in.  Not five minutes later, I saw something bobbing in the calm water about 40 feet from the boat.  I got out the binoculars to look.  It was a huge chunk of bloody seal flesh floating out direction.  The seagulls had not even spied it yet.  Soon there was a squawking fest as they located and descended on the partial carcass.  It floated past the boat and we all gave thanks that Karson decided not to go for a swim.

No comments: