Spinnaker Flying

On Adunara, we visited the tiny village of Mokko, explored the islands, snorkeled in the warm clear water, and saw smoke and ashes erupt from a volcano in the distance. And went spinnaker flying!

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The Scent of Home

My parents sent a small package with Adam's parents back when they visited us in Cairns. It contained three things: a card, a flash drive, and a small fabric satchel.

The package was delivered right after my birthday; all its contents reminded me of home, and nothing could have been better. The card was a birthday card with notes from my parents. The flash drive had pictures from home, including some of my parents on their own travels and many of my dog and two cats. There were even videos of Isis following my mom around and Dart doing what he does best- cuddling. The satchel was full of dried lavender, from the plants grown right in front of my house.

Boats can be smelly places, what with the constant heat, close quarters, and potential for mold. I'd like to think that, because of that lavender satchel, my bunk is the best-smelling place on the whole boat. I sewed some string onto it so I could hang it from my shelf right next to my pillow, and now I get the occasional lavender-laden breeze as I'm drifting off to sleep, reminding me of home. <3

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Sunrise Watch

Both my parents and my friend Hannah won't believe this, but my favorite watch is from 5 to 8 am. So early, I know! Here's why: it's still cool, so sitting up top at the wheel is pleasant. Everyone else on board is usually asleep at this time and it's very quiet, so it feels like I have the boat all to myself. If we're near land, this is the time when birds head out for their day of fishing and I enjoy watching them wheel and soar around the boat, sometimes squawking amongst themselves. And most of all, I get to see the sun come up.

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My Provisioning Stash

After several trips to used bookstores and a final run to the grocery store, I think I have enough entertainment and fresh fruit and veggies to last quite a while. Here is my personal list of provisions!

- Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower' series
- two China Mieville books
- JRR Tolkien's 'The Hobbit,' picked up for free at the yacht club book swap
- Granny Smith apples
- Sundowner apples (I've never had these before!)
- Pink Lady apples (my favorite kind)
- bag of oranges
- four bananas (three now)
- two cartons tomatoes
- two bottles juice (cran-apple and grape)
- plenty of trail mix
- ...a family pack of lamingtons

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The Search for Used Bookstores: Australian Edition, Round 2

After a long walk, a bus ride, and another long walk, I made it to the second used bookstore I had spotted. And all the walking was worth it, and that includes lugging my new old books all the way back to the boat!

This was a two story bookshop, crammed to the ceilings with books. Better yet, the prices were cheaper than at the other one, with both hardback and paperback books priced around $8 each. Best of all, there was a cute dog that I got to play with while browsing the shelves.

While there were multiple series of books that I wanted to get, budget constraints and limited storage space on the boat forced me to choose. I ended up getting a series that I've read before but enjoyed very much: The Dark Tower series, by Stephen King. Lucky for me, there are seven massive books in the series, and they'll keep me occupied for quite a while!

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The Search for Used Bookstores: Australian Edition, Round 1

We have lots of free time on the boat, and I mean a lot. This is especially the case during crossings when we're confined to the boat. When we're anchored in a new place we all tend to try and spend as much time as possible OFF the boat. What we each do during our free time varies. Sleeping, eating, listening to music, reading, and more sleeping are some popular activities.

I have always enjoyed reading, and read a lot even before I got on the boat. When I was younger I would lay on the floor in my doorway after being told to go to bed, being as quiet as possible, trying to catch enough light from downstairs to illuminate the pages of whatever book I was engrossed in. (My parents may not know that... sorry.) These days I can read whenever I like, and do so frequently. Living on the WTP gives me more reading time than ever.

The only problem with having so much reading time is that I tend to go through my available books pretty quickly. This is compounded by the fact that I can't just walk a couple miles up the road to the nearest library or used bookstore (shout out to Reader's Corner in Raleigh which allows dogs inside, so Baron gets to come along!) to replenish my stock, living on a boat and all. And so begins the never-ending search for used bookstores.

Cairns had a couple but their selection was somewhat limited and prices were high. I did get a couple Stephen King novels, but only because the shop owner gave me one for free because it didn't have a price. Here in Darwin I struck gold in the form of a two-story bookstore, full of shelf after shelf of books. It's much bigger than the shops in Cairns and even has a $2 section!

I've wandered around this shop on three separate occasions and, I'll admit, tucked away a stack of books I would like to buy. Although prices are pretty steep, at least $10 a book, I know I'll get hours of enjoyment from them. I'm only holding off on that final purchase because I recently spotted a second used bookstore that's further off the beaten path, and I'd like to compare selection and price to that of the first one. I'll keep you posted!

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