Welcome to Pacific Bliss

September 9, 2005

Passage to Singapore
by Lois Joy

Part 1: Birthdays at Sea

Part 3: Crossing the Equator
September 14, 2005
00º04.95S, 106º06.07E 0940

We are flying…we are flying. Flying along with wet wings. Main double reefed. Jib at the second reef, and still pulling strong. Averaging 7.6 knots SOG. Our first squall of the passage.
Riding the rough waves in the aftermath.

The squall began at 0645 and lasted for about two hours. This, on the day we will cross the equator. We had low visibility with the rain, but a good radar image of the storm. It reached Force 7, about 34 knots, but the brunt of the squall was in the 25-30 knot range. Only a few flashes of lightning. Fortunately, Noen, on the 4-7 AM watch, had seen it coming. He woke Gunter immediately and they had reefed before the storm hit. Good crew. Now they are both back in bed. We’ll all be up in an hour or so for the crossing of the equator. There will be no party, though. Neptune is simply not cooperating this time!

I’m sitting here on watch this morning, recalling our first crossing of the equator, back in 2002, on our Voyage 2. Doug and Armin, our crew, stood ready on the net under a hot sun on flat seas. Captain Gunter initiated the three of us as old salts by pouring a bucket of saltwater over our heads. Then Doug poured a bucket over Gunter. We were given sea names. That evening, still on calm seas, I dressed as the Queen and Gunter as King Neptune and we had our little ceremony. Gunter popped the cork and dutifully poured some champagne into the sea for Neptune. Then we drank the rest and partied. Click to Crossing the Line, April 9, 2002 for that story.

When I explained our past routine to Noen yesterday, he said he would welcome a bucket of water over his head. It was 0715 and the sun was already high behind our stern, beaming into the salon. The temperature—in the salon—already registered 84º F and climbing. We had put up the bimini shades for protection; Pacific Bliss was slowly motoring in rippling, following seas.

On this passage, the cabins in the hulls remain stifling until the wee hours of the morning. The only way to live down there is to lie naked, sprinkle water over oneself, and let the fans dry it off. The technique is similar to that of the ‘cool fans’ that they sell in Singapore. They buy them for parties when there are lots of guests in one room, and the air conditioner cannot keep up. The units are free-standing, on casters. The hostess adds trays of ice to the top, then the built-in fan blows out the cold air, waist-high, into the room.

But today, Neptune has stirred the seas to a fury. This will be no calm crossing. It’s time to wake up the guys to witness the event.

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September 14, 2005
00º00.00, 106º E
1040

Gunter comes up on deck. “Noen, help me bring up the dagger boards.”

“Why?”

“We need them up for crossing the line, so they don’t get tangled in it.”

I take test photos of the Latitude and Longitude read-outs. The countdown begins…
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-1…Pacific Bliss has crossed the line, for the second time!

Noen is wide awake and pumped. He gets on the VHF, channel # 77. “This is Rally Radio,” he begins. “I repeat, this is Rally Radio. Pacific Bliss and Simpatica have just crossed the equator. We play Amazing Grace on the stereo, and blare it out through the cockpit speakers. But no one is listening. He repeats the message on Channel # 16. No response. The rain eases. We are sailing with a full main and jib now. The wind has decreased to Force 4. Gunter pours four small glasses of Dark & Stormy, our favorite cocktail from Queensland, Australia—consisting of Bundaberg rum and ginger beer. He hands one to each of us. We toast. The fourth he pours into the sea for Neptune. “I think, given the state of the sea, instead of champagne, this is a more fitting drink for Neptune,” he says. Our celebration is simple and quick, but memorable, just the same.

Photo Gallery to Part Three

Go to Part 4: The Singapore Strait