Day 11: halfway there! Dolphin surprise.
Halfway there.
1,500 nautical miles were behind us since we had left the Galápagos Islands. Another stretch just as long still separated us from the Marquesas Islands. Ten days at sea were already behind us. Probably another ten still ahead. In total, we had now spent eighteen days on the open ocean since leaving Panama.
The morning began with turning the very last leftovers of banana and soursop fruit into pancakes. Yummii!!!
Right after that, we continued with what had by now become our almost symbolic toilet repair mission. Under the watchful eyes of “Bob” or “Bobi” — our red-footed Red-footed Booby who had apparently decided to become part of the crew. He sat there for hours, head slightly tilted, as if analyzing our complete technical incompetence.
For two days we had been trying to unclog that damn pipe.
We poured acid into it. Hydrochloric acid. Blew pressure through the pipes manually by literally blowing with our mouths into the toilet drain. Poked cables through it. Sweated. Swore. Debated. And honestly, this was exactly the kind of problem that probably could have been solved a lot more calmly somewhere in a harbor with solid ground beneath your feet instead of in the middle of the Pacific.
Eventually the captain gave up. At least for now.
The wind was good, so instead we decided to hoist the Parasailor and take down the Code 0. Immediately the mood onboard changed. Everyone automatically moved into position. Hands. Lines. Commands. Concentration. This time everything worked surprisingly smoothly. The Parasailor pulled us forward calmly and powerfully, as if the boat had suddenly decided to sail itself.
After lunch, which we prepared afterward, I fell into a complete food coma. My body simply shut down. I dragged myself onto the foredeck and sat there half lethargic for at least two hours. Unable to move. Just me, the endless Pacific, and Bobi staring at me with the same stoic expression he had previously used on the toilet situation.