[Dar Es Salaam - Phuket] Day 15 -- Endless

Day fifteen continued in the tradition of its predecessors. No wind and not the slightest sign of a change. While the few clouds looking disrupted, a sure clue for wind, the ocean surface stayed even and calm and we were still motoring through an endless and flat nothing made of water. With so much time at hand I found myself more and more in the shade of the Genoa sail in the very front of the boat staring into and onto the water for countless minutes. Even though there was rarely anything to really look at it gave the mind the opportunity to wander into the open and unknown, as broad and endless as the ocean surrounding me. A million thoughts to be had and nothing to keep me from hanging on to every single one of them put me in a situation where time just didn't matter anymore. I occurred to me that it hadn't even been two months since I'd left Berlin, but it felt like ages ago now. Living a life as free as I was doing it at the moment, only pursueing my dreams and interests and exploring a new taste to life about every day had made time slow down and almost come to a stop. Life itself and its opportunities presented itself as being as endless as the open water around me. Even though that had occurred to me before the very essence of that fact was seldomly visualized in such a striking manner.

The usual midday check for water, oil and diesel was promising. All fluid levels were good. The diesel had started to diminish slower now, probably we did have a tank that broadened at the bottom and we'd have more than enough fuel to even make it to the Maledives on engine alone. A short time after the checks I noticed the fishing rod not vibrating anymore. Usually the movements of the rapala were propagated over the line and made the rod jump up and down at a high frequency. Now it was calm, but still bent from the pulling force of the artificial bait. Afraid to have lost another rapala I began reeling in. I instantly noticed there was just the usual pull from the rapala and wondered how it might have tangled up to not move properly anymore. Just before I had reeled it all the way in, it broke through the surface. It usually didn't do so until almost in the boat. I looked and noticed a poor little fish, completely exhausted, hanging on the threefolded hook. Dinner was secured, well in time before a large predator had the chance to get a grip of our meal. The day before we'd had the reel rattle like crazy on a huge fish and the rapala had showed deep toothmarks after we had retrieved it. This small 30cm fish was far from being able of leaving any marks, but it saved my reputation as the fisherman on board. After a couple of unsuccessful days the crew had started, jokingly, to express doubts on my abilities. I was now starting to get back in the game.

captains log:
light winds 3-5kn from NNW
1200 S1°28 E61°45
vent NNW 2-3kn E=226,5 hours
oil OK, diesel OK
slight winds, rollup Genoa
fish 20cm
clock 1 hour ahead