Race 10 - Day 19
Crew Diary - Race 10 Day 19: Seattle to Panama
19 May

John Gannon
John Gannon
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Tales from the Diner - Epilogue

(Part 1 + Part 2)

I was up at 05:30 getting the Bistro in order for the day ahead. Porridge, cereals, bread for toasting, real coffee, the latter a sine qua non!

Bleary-eyed Port Watch drifted in to be revitalised with food and camaraderie.

I stood quietly in the galley listening to the background chatter of the night watch, of sail evolutions, star gazing, wildlife stories and the emerging unlikely friendships born from the microcosmic society that we now inhabited. Those who months earlier had been almost total strangers now eagerly sharing innermost thoughts on life in general.

I pondered what I had left behind. The decision to sign up for Ronni’s crew, the note I had left on the door: ‘Gone sailing....back in July’

I thought of the words of Leonard Cohen, in his song ‘Suzanne’: "And all men will be sailors then until the sea shall free them". Perhaps that what it was? Freeing us from the trappings of our cluttered lives, the flotsam and jetsam that binds us to the sterility of our monotonous routine? Perhaps that was the draw of Ronni’s adventure?

‘Hey Dr G’, ‘toast with peanut butter and jam please, and another coffee’. ‘Could we have some music on?’

Thanks for reading,

Dr G