The New Midland Crew

Staring through my mask, down into the blue abyss with shimmering shafts of sunlight, I'm floating around Ruth 2 with a slight unease about the possibility of a passing curious Great White. This is after all his territory, 100+ from the Galapagos Islands and 2 vertical kilometers from the nearest hard surface. The days leading up to this were a frantic rush to arrange our daily lives to make up for our absence. Packing, checking lists, cross checking lists, the organisation and execution of travelling. A trivial effort compared to the colossal amount of logistics and work required to get Ruth 2 to our
rendezvous point, but still, we were stressed. Even when we arrived in the Galapagos, we packed two fantastic days of tours, dives and hikes, to see as much as possible before setting off on our
great adventure. Now, bobbing around the boat, in windless Pacific sunshine, any tension is melting away (apart for the aforementioned shark anxiety). We're learning to conform to a new offshore schedule of watches, a few chores and a lot of down time. The down time is being gainfully used to improve ourselves. The books that we've set aside for too long, will finally be read. I'm trying to wrap my head around the sextant work, as I follow James taking his sights and working out his calculations. I've 3000 miles to figure it out. Mary has set up a 'foredeck gym', where she grimly hurts people (me!). There promises to be baking as soon as the bread runs out, which is likely to be soon, as the tropical heat and humidity has given a great vitality to any spores who have made their way into our stores.

As the title suggests, apart from being the new crew, as Shannon sailors, we're also the furthest Irish sailors from the sea. Usually. We're now the furthest sailors from any land and revelling in the experience.

All the best, from the Pacific,
John and Linda