Toau to Hilo: Day 14 -- By Hunter

Two weeks at sea!

Last night a flying fish fell on Kai's head.

It must have come on deck in the big waves and somehow flipped it way over to our slightly open hatch (there is the dinghy on our deck so we can leave it open without getting to wet) and somehow flipped right inside. Our bed is RIGHT under the hatch, so when the fish came though, it hit Kai right on the forehead, bounced up in the air and then landed on my pillow and started thrashing like mad.

This was at about three oclock in the morning and we had both just fallen back asleep (it was really rough seas yesterday and since Kai and I sleep in the same sea berth on passage, we roll into each other all night), when suddenly I heard Kai go "ARGHHH!" and he leapt out of bed. I remember thinking, "I wonder what he's doing getting up again, maybe he wants to go on dawn watch with mom". Then I head a weird fluttering sound and I thought,"Maybe its those giant moths from Mexico-oh, wait...we're in the middle of the ocean, there are no moths..." and then I felt a slimy, tail skim past my arm!

I jumped out of bed, screaming!
Dad ran down from on deck to see what it was.
I was yelling "FLYING FISH...IN OUR BED".

Dad was laughing so hard but he got a kitchen cloth from the galley, scooped it up and tossed it overboard. Then we had to clean up all the scales and fish slime from our pillows and bedding-YUCK!

I got some Fabreeze but it turned out to be air freshner and didn't really do anything, so we ended up sleeping in fishy smelling covers all night.

The next morning (today) the weather got way better and really hot.
I spent the day, reading and playing with dolls while my daddy fixed the fridge and mom was on her off watch sleeping (they have been super tired lately).
When mom woke up, she went outside to see dad and talk about boat stuff and my dad, who was taking a shower on deck, wasn't looking at the water and then suddenly mom yelled,
"Turtle!".

I ran and looked over the side and there was a HUGE GRANDDADDY-SIZE GREEN SEA TURTLE!

He was right next to the boat and you could see him even in the waves as he was sleeping and was too tired to move out of the way-luckily we just sailed smoothly past him and he didnt even bother to wake up much. We saw him on the sirface for a long time.

This is the first turtle we have seen in ages! My mom was yelling and smiling and so happy-she loves turtles.

Then I saw a plastic Gatorade bottle float by.

This is also the first garbage we have seen out here this whole time-
Now I know we must be getting close to Hawaii.

Turtles and signs of humans!

(but we are still 836 miles away!)

I'm really looking forward to going to Hawaii because we will get to see, lots of whales and turtles and volcanoes and most of all our family can come for a visit!

LAT: 9*39.22N
LONG:145*00.43W

5.4 knots

course:325 true


2 comments:

  1. Hi Hunter ... Thanks for the great fish story and the news of better weather. I could see from the weather map I look at that you might be getting out from under the clouds soon. And I can see you've turned directly toward the good ol' Sandwich Islands. Not so far to go to Hilo now. The Dairy Queen has been alerted to your arrival and they're stocking up! Love ...

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  2. love flying fish!!! not so much on my pillow though....i feel for ya guys! ugh!
    can't wait to see y'all soon!!
    oxoxoox

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