Day 12: Smoke Signals

4/28/2010, Wed., 1700 Zulu, Lat. 27 49.2 N, Long. 094 03.6 W, Day 12

And so, we have come to our last full day at sea. This morning at 0600, we passed this humungous structure all lit up like a Christmas tree 6 nm to our starboard beam. It was so big you thought you could reach over the life line and touch it. I supposed this is one of those huge off-shore oil or gas platforms. We were still over 120 nm from land. What lies ahead are hundreds of oil derricks, according to our chart, scattered all over our path. Terry spent all morning carefully laying out our route so we would keep them at least two nm from our track. Our ETA is 0800 tomorrow at the outside sea buoy. It will take another 20nm to get to Galveston, (Hey Bill, did you know that Galveston is an island?) then another 20 nm to the marina at Seabrook, where Terry has reserved a slip for Living Water.

Yesterday after the rather ominous news about the cold front, we were prepared for another rough day at sea, but the strong wind never materialized and we had quite a pleasant sail and made great progress to rapidly decrease the sea miles between us and land. We noticed some peculiar looking jelly fish, hundreds of them floating by. At first glance, they looked like someone had tossed clear drinking bottles overboard, but on closer examination (and Terry had already pointed this out) they are sails from the jelly fish which they use to keep them drifting with the prevailing wind. How interesting! I spent a considerable amount of time during my off watch trying to capture them on camera. I finally gave up and told myself I need to procure a telephoto lens in the future.

Dinner was Panamanian Costello Beef Flambe’ served with Country Home Fries. Have no idea what Costello means or what it would taste like. The beef must have been raised by the Costello family and hence got its name (I assume). Anyway, the price was right, only $2.50 per lb. which we got back in Colon some two weeks ago.

At 1730, while Terry was sitting at the helm waiting for dinner, I started to cook the home fries and then the flambé beef, all along thinking my dear Captain will once again be impressed by my culinary skills on the high seas. Preparing the meat was easy, just a little garlic powder, salt and pepper and Worcestershire sauce will do the trick. Cooking involved butter and oil in a hot pan and let the meat cook for about 5 minutes on one side and 3 minutes on the other. I even took the time to ask my patron at the helm how he liked his steak cooked. “Medium to medium well”, was the reply. After the required cooking time in the red hot pan, I had to perform one last step to finish the dish, i.e. the flambé step. I retrieved my now dwindling supply of SMS (as I said in my earlier posting, there is no cooking sherry on board) from its secret location and was ready to impress my audience. I opened the bottle and while trying to give the hot pan with the Costello a good swig, the boat was suddenly hit by a wave and proceeded to list to starboard (the same side where the galley stove is located). A great amount of my precious nectar was poured into the pan and white smoke started to puff, I mean, billow out of the galley and up the companion way. Bright red flames followed and started to burn on the surface of the pan. It seemed like an eternity before I wiggled and turned the pan and got the flame out. Just at that moment, Terry poked his head from the cockpit into the galley and asked, “Is everything OK? I can see white smoke all the way from the helm.” I turned around and said everything was alright, I was just sending him smoke signals that dinner is ready, all at the same time shoving his plate, which now contained this rather big piece of smoldering charred meat, into his hands. I could see the doubt on his face, but his hunger had gotten the better of his curiosity and he withdrew his head from the galley with his dinner in hand.

Little does he know how close I was to activating the ship’s fire suppression system, i.e. a mad Chinese with a water bucket. Living Water would have no “Water” left if I hadn’t put out the fire in the nick of time. Lesson learned, never attempt to flambé steak on the high seas on a small boat unless it is someone else’s small boat.

During dinner, I casually commented how the Costello family really doesn’t know how to raise tender cattle. “The beef at home is much better”, I said. Nevertheless, my fellow diner said it was the best flambé steak he had ever had. I humbly accepted the compliment and said, “I could do better next time, perhaps less salt.” And that was my dinner story.

I cannot leave you, as this is my last posting at sea, without telling you what it was like living with my good friend Terry in close quarters for the last two weeks. I know some of you, boys and girls, have encouraged us to sail on (even back track to Panama to California) so we can tell more stories at sea. But, there are other more urgent things waiting for us on land and we must leave you. I will have one final posting when back in Sacramento from my own Gmail account. I promise.

Anyway, Terry and I met at sailing school some 20 years ago. He is half German (that explains his analytical, precision side) and half Portuguese (that explains why he is such a good sailor and loves to fish). He is also tall, handsome, athletic and a devour Christian (back in Roman time). Generally a kind and gentle man, a bit shy on the surface but (as you can tell from his blog) with a great sense of humor. (I have to say all this on the off chance that he might read my blog before my departure from Living Water, as he still holds my passport and wallet in our survival bag, and he has the only key). And let me continue, he had become a great sailor throughout these years while we partnered and raced a smaller sail boat on SF Bay.

One thing you will always notice when you see him. He is so clean and smells good. I mean Felix Unger will be pale in comparison to Terry. He loves to clean, period. When I first got on Living Water back in Colon, he had bottles of cleaners and 6 (I counted) toothbrushes on deck to take out dirt and grime on the boat. (I have since slept with my own toothbrush under my pillow). Do you know he has every cleaning product known to the western world on Living Water? He knows how to use some of the product that the manufacturer themselves do not know, e.g. Tilex is good for taking blemishes off and polishing chrome railings and winches. His favorite cleaner is Windex. And he carries a bottle around everywhere he goes. If you spill something, he’ll wipe it up with Windex. If he sees dust in the cabinet, out comes the Windex. If you sneezed, …. Hope you get the picture.

I have to say living with him was fun if you consider putting needles in your eyes a pleasure. (I borrowed this line from our good friend Marty, thought I just put it in). Of course, I am just kidding. (Still waiting to get my money and passport). But, in all honesty and kidding aside, he is a very considerate and hard working man. As I am writing this, he is slaving up in the cockpit trimming sails and this is supposed to be my watch. I would sail with him anytime and place.

I have to leave you with this as we have just entered the shipping channel to Galveston and there are three supertankers approaching. The next 18 hours will be interesting. Our last 24 hours run was 128 nm.

Thank you Gary, Corinne and Rickster, Mike and Dave for your e-mails. The Brave Captain just called all hands on deck. I don’t understand why he keeps saying that as I always bring both of them wherever I go. Now, I must leave you…..See you back at Sac