The Bungee Monster

Oriental, NC

35 001.91 N 076 41.46 W

Boy were we pooped. Yesterday and last night we just eat and sleep eat and sleep. They say that the first 48 hours at sea are the worst. After that your body adapts to the new rhythm and you're not so tired any more. Perhaps true. I felt better on the 3rd morning before coming in to Beaufort. Even so, we were at the bottom of a deep well of fatigue and it would take a lot to claw back out.

Today were at the dock in Oriental. Tomorrow morning I'll get my coffee at The Bean. Life is good. I have to tell you anyhow about what I find as I cleaned up the decks this morning.

A couple of nights ago Libby was on watch and I was down below sleeping. Suddenly, the boat took a big lurch. I didn't fall out of bed because of the lee cloths. However all sorts of things fell from their storage places, and water streamed in via the hatch (slightly open to let air in) and the open companionway. Poor Libby out in the cockpit was drenched from the wave that broke over us.

When I came up on deck a bit later, Libby said, "Don't touch the critter. It might be poisonous." "What critter," I said. She pointed. There was a blue and black thing on the deck with what looked like tendrils coming out. It did look like some kind of jelly fish. Libby said it appeared on deck after that wave broke.

Well this morning as I cleaned up I came upon the critter. I picked it up with gloves and looked closely. It was a blue and black piece of bungee cord tied in a knot. So much for our poisonous sea critter.