Crossing the North Pacific in the Clipper Round the World Race 2005-2006 Part 5 by Guest Author Brian Luster

(Brian Luster is a fellow nautical blogger and author of the excellent blog A Movable Bridge. Brian took part in the big Asian leg of the 2005-2006 Clipper Race. The current race is taking place right now and the crews are in Asia as I write this --Adam) (Day 11) O! For sun and PB&J!: 3521nm to Victoria Two nights ago, during a dreadful wind and rain, the mainsheet traveler track decided to reposition itself several feet to starboard. I was off watch in my bunk, but the skipper called “All hands!” and I jumped up and put on my cold, wet oilies. On deck, some of us immediately started repairs, while the rest reefed the main. I went up to the foredeck to help strike the genoa (the largest headsail). After about two hours of working on the foredeck I was sent below to get dry and warm. I managed to more or less fall down the companionway ladder and sit in a crumpled heap at the bottom. Someone put a mug of hot chocolate in my hand, and I fell asleep on the saloon floor. At some point my watch leader came below and ordered me to my bunk. The next morning the sun was shining. The day before, Lizzie and I had baked fresh bread, and for breakfast I had peanut butter and jelly on toast that tasted so good and reminded me so much of home and life on land that I cried. Last night we saw two ships, one of which passed within about a mile. That’s pretty close, considering we have the entire North Pacific to share. Two ships was a lot to see; we sometimes go for days without seeing any. Last night through this morning we’ve had other visitors as well—Pacific white-sided dolphins. They appear from out of nowhere, streaking through the phosphorescence and leaping from our bow wave. They stay for a while, then vanish, only to reappear suddenly. On Monday, life at an angle