Single-handling minus 1

Back on the San Francisco Bay Tod and I both single handled our own boats. That's how we met and noticed each other. Once we merged our lives, and sold Jolanda's boat and kept Tod's boat, we didn't single hand any longer. Until, Tessa joined our lives. While sailing with a baby is easy, as they still sleep a lot, and don't want all your attention, things change when it comes to the toddler age. This is the 'all about me stage' and once she is awake, she is happy, active and ready to play with us  So, when we do passages, it pretty much means that one of us is single handling the boat, and watch traffic and weather. The other person plays with Tessa.  We try to alternate those roles. Not such a big deal for day passages, but overnite passages are a different ball game. We get a few hrs of sleep during the night during off watch (if lucky and if the sea state isn't too bad), but then comes 7AM, and we are back in full activity parent mode, in addition to the boat watches. Fellow cruiser Windy of S/V Del Viento referred to this age as a "minus-one" crew, which I think is quite applicable, when it comes to boat handling.



That's a long introduction for our overnite slug up North, from Barra de Navidad to Neuvo Vallarta in Banderas Bay. Weather forecast was rather mild seas and wind, both on the nose though. Tod caught a fish during Tessa's nap, we played, ate, and slowly got ready for evening watches. The wind had not calmed down (17 knots isn't much but when you are motoring straight into it, it's slows you down), and we had breaking waves over the bow at regular intervals. Down below the motion wasn't very pleasant. I'm now starting to think that Tessa was a rodeo rider in one of her past lives, as none of this motion seems to effect her ability to sleep soundly in the most rocky part of the boat, the V-berth.

quite a struggle with this one

Ah, and then at the end of my first evening watch, the tasty chicken tamale we bought in Barra ended up being not so lovely. Without getting into much detail, let's just say that food poisoning under way is super unpleasant. And this goes back to the blog title. From midnight till noon next day, my wonderful husband not only single-handled Bliss, but also took care me during the night, and Tessa in the morning, while I was of no use down below. He did this while he had slept less than 1 hour during the night.

Our sweet friends of s/v Believe had delayed their departure for one day to see us and play with Tessa. So after her nap, Tessa happily painted with Sherilyn again! And Tod got to enjoy his fish.

for oma, pictures of tessa

"please wrap me up like a baby"