You know how when you lose the ability to use one of your senses, the others kick up into higher gear? Well, on the day we were making our passage from Montenegro to Croatia, I was under the weather, so unfortunately I missed out on participating in and even seeing the passage from above. I was in our cabin for the day, dozing and listening…
(This also reminded me of when you move into a new house and you learn all the new creaks, plumbing sounds, etc. Know what I mean?)
I heard:
- The fan in our cabin going all day, which provides the background white noise.
- The engines turning on at 7am, telling me that Conor was on time with his planned departure.
- Some motoring then the engines going off, telling me that we had reached the nearby spot of Zelenika where we would be checking out of Montenegro.
- The engines back on around 7:50am said we were ready to depart and were on our way to Dubrovnik.
- The steady engines for several hours told me there wasn’t any wind, so we were motoring the whole way.
- The suction flushing sound said people used the toilet.
- The loud noise from the water pump indicated people were using sinks. (This one is hard to describe – think of a loud, abrupt, muted vacuum cleaner or electric saw.)
- Galley cabinets and drawers opening and closing said it was lunch time.
- Silverware clinking was getting cleaned and put away.
- Footsteps directly overhead meant people were walking about up on deck.
- When I heard the chain for the anchor going out, that was curious. I learned that when we moored in Cavtat to go through border control in Croatia, we still had to back in, but there were no built-in bow lines (slime lines) up front. Thus, we had to anchor to hold the bow.
- When I heard the engines louder than they had ever been before while the boat was barely moving, I understood our docking in Dubrovnik was tricky. And in fact, Conor said it was the toughest one he’d done yet given the crosswind that kicked up.
In the evening while the others went into the Old Town for dinner, I stole upstairs, heated up some leftovers, and sat out on the foredeck to eat. There was a lovely cool breeze to enjoy. The Wind – the absolute most important thing for sailing vessels. Every day is determined by the wind. Can you hear any? If so, how strong is it? From which direction is it coming? Now, I am an extreme visual learner. Like, I have to see a new name written down before I can remember it. So something invisible like wind is a huge challenge for me. I’m getting there. 😉
During my dinner, I had the chance to chat with our daughter, Laura. I was relaying much of what I described above, and she said “Wow, Mom, you sound like a sailor already!” So even though I didn’t witness the day, I heard it and I guess I understood enough. I realized I’ve learned more than I thought already. Kinda cool. 🙂
The only photos I can offer today are views from my window…
* Actually, when we first arrived in ACI marina Dubrovnik, my view was of another fender. We were docked about 6 inches from the boat next to us! It left the next day.
Sailing Sabática 