Journal Entry October 30, 2005 New Zealand Crossing Day 5 – Hemisphere Line and Cabbage Slime

The first two items of importance for the journal probably happened at about the same time last night. Around 0300 we crossed into the eastern hemisphere of the earth. I am sure most of you know and understand the world is split in half dividing the globe into a northern and southern hemisphere at the equator. The equator also is the starting point north for the northern latitudes and the starting point for the southern latitudes. Latitude lines run horizontally around the world. Well, some of you may not know the world is also divided into western and eastern hemispheres. The eastern and western halves of the world are somewhat divided by the International Date Line, but unlike the equator the International Date Line does not run perfectly straight, for example you may recall that we crossed the Date Line before reaching Tonga, and Tonga is located in the western hemisphere. This is because some countries want to share the same date with New Zealand and so the Date Line is conveniently skewed to allow countries like Tonga to remain in the same day as New Zealand. However, much of the International Date Line follows the dividing line for the eastern and western hemispheres. Just as the earth is measured with horizontal latitude lines the world is also measured with vertical longitude lines. When we crossed into the eastern hemisphere we moved from 179° west to 179° east longitude. Somehow the east and west hemispheres don’t get quite the glory as north and south do by crossing the equator, but we still feel it is a very significant event for us.

The other interesting thing that happened to me around 0300 happened while I was resting between visits to check for boat traffic and I was pulled out of my light sleep by an absolutely fowl odor. During the day I was aware the smell was building, but for some reason at 0300 the putrid smell took on a whole new dimension. The offenders were two large slimy green cabbages hanging over my head in a net bag. Looking up was like laying on my back while Shrek walked over me sporting his Ogarian family jewels and this is loosely what I think it smelled like. As I lay pinned down and writhing in the dense stench I wondered how these two innocent green balls could emit such a powerful stink. I also wondered how Pam (the person who wakes up at every creak the boat makes) could possibly sleep peacefully through such an awful olfactory assault, I mean P U! Just then I noticed that the left orb was actually turning a shinny brown color and I wondered if that gooey slime on the surface could somehow leak through the net bag and drip on me while I lay beneath, and then what if there are bugs living in those things. That was it, no resting on watch for this puppy; I was out of there, escaping to the safety of the windy and rolling cockpit.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. The weather had only marginally improved and we were still mostly stuck down below with high winds, big seas, and the evil cabbages. It was a day of toast for breakfast, soup for lunch, nothing for dinner, reading, cards, and journal writing. The big events for me were reefing the main to a second reef point with Pam, reading Erik’s book about climbing Mt Everest and taking my own expedition in the wild weather to check out the boat and to stop a ladder from banging for Princess Pamela. Don’t you think she could have a little more sympathy and respect for the poor commoners aboard Tournesol who are subjected to the torturous cabbages?