A Survey of Weather

For all of you who think that a long ocean passage sounds boring – an endless, monotonous expanse of blue both above and below the horizon – you are probably right. It is likely to bore the pants off most people. But, there is a group of people who thrive at sea, experiencing nothing but each other and whatever the ocean offers for months at a time. Glenn and I are beginning to think of ourselves as part of this group – the “cruisers.”

They rhythm of the ocean can be very meditative. It touches every sensation. You see the waves as they approach, hear the waves as they slide on by and under the keel, feel the power of the wave as it pulls the tiller and the boat, and taste the salty spray as it mists your face.

The wind also plays a role. Distant winds create the long-period waves that gently lift you skyward and then back to Earth again. The local wind might add just the barest ripple to the ocean surface, or it may create breaking waves that look like wild white-maned horses leaping out of the tops of the waves. Sometimes, dolphins and schools of tuna might join in the fun. It is not always relaxing, but it is always spectacular.

Glenn and I have taken a lot of photos while we have been travelling. Unfortunately, the internet connections we have had in French Polynesia have been exceedingly slow, so that uploading photos has not been a good option. But, we really want to share our experiences and these amazing views with you. So, here they are a few of our favorite photos showing a range of weather from very stormy (radar image of cloud densities surrounding the boat in the doldrums!) to completely calm.