Day 9: It Is What It Is….Out Here In The Big Blue Sea

Every day while we've been out here we download gribs (wind
predictions) and swell reports from NOAA. We receive an email with an
attachment that opens as an overlay on our digital chart. So far 90% of
the time they have been wrong. Wrong direction, wrong strength, wrong
time of day. It's become our morning ritual – check the gribs, look
outside and see how wrong they are. "Oh, the gribs say we have 5 knots
of wind from the North with a southerly swell. That must be why we have
15 knots of wind with swell from the Northeast."

When I complained about these incorrect predictions to Bruce, he
replied, "with no buoys or reporting vessels in the area it's really
just a guess by NOAA – remember you are out there now and it is what it is."

It is what it is.

And it is indeed a gigantic blue ocean. And we are in the middle of it.
It has been six days since we saw another vessel on our AIS
transceiver. It feels like the twilight zone, an other-world-ness. It
really makes sense that no one knows what is happening out here, because
out here is a world away, a different dimension, a Zen lesson in being
present.

I suppose instead of complaining, I should figure out how to be a
reporting vessel (I think it's just a matter of emailing NOAA a
description of what we are experiencing), so that any other mariners out
there receive a more accurate prediction.

Meanwhile, we sail along here. The days are lovely, with following
breezes and a swell on our aft quarter. A little gusty and rolly at
times, but overall an enjoyable sled ride. Last night was not so nice.
The wind died down but the swell didn't, leaving us with flopping
sails and a rolling boat that was far from conducive to sleeping. So we
enjoyed naps during the day and hope for a smoother night tonight.

We rigged three different sails today – a trisail that is used for
stability in the swell and has improved the back and forth rolling of
the boat, the genoa (our second biggest headsail), and then back to the
jib as the evening and the gustier winds fill in.

Sweet Dreams from S/V Sweet Dreams, and don't forget:

"It Is What It Is"

1,177 nautical miles down, 1,657 to go!

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