Sleep deprived error, where is the sun, and landfall Dry Tortugas

After my last email, I felt triumphant and so deeply tired.  I was certain that sleep would grab me and not let go until Wednesday sometime, but I'm just too excited about life to sleep it away. I did take a long shower (1 whole gallon) which was awesome, then I made something quick to eat expecting to sleep. But then I felt like unpacking the dinghy's motor (I went to shore on oars previously), and then I dipped the fuel tanks (only used 9 gallons) and dropped my 5 gallon extra jug into the tank.

Then I saw a huge grouper under the boat, so I dropped the dinghy in so I could watch it up close. It was like 3' long in this crystal water. Well, while the dinghy is in the water I might as well test the motor.  Ok it runs, maybe time for a shore excursion. Well, before I got to land I was flagged over by some sailors on a 44' homebuilt (HAM radio guys too) who I talked to for an hour. It only took an hour to walk the island, and on my way back I said hi to some other cruising sailors who beautifully restored a Pearson 424, again for an hour. So now that I'm back to the boat I'm just now starting to feel tired, but at least my nervous energy has burnt itself off. Tomorrow I think I will snorkel around the whole island just for starters.

I wanted to re-mention last night. I decided around 8pm to motor all night so I could get here early enough. Well I made a sleep-deprived mistake somehow and set one clock in the wrong direction when going from CST to EST, so I'm 2 hours off in my estimation. Well, I had motored about 5 hours, eaten delicious Thai soup, showered, and I was trying to sleep but I just can't when the motor is running. I tried for about 30 minutes and then started to notice that the boat was leaning a bit from wind. After a mostly windless day the spirits returned with a vengeance. It was a good thing I had already downed the drifter, because now I plied on all her canvas to get her almost as fast as she was motoring. Ten minutes of effort later we were hauling off silently under sail, so I only motored about half as much as I had expected.

With sails, I was able to fall asleep for about 2 hours and awoke as is usual to a fervent check of things and make sure all was still well. I then continued to sail the approach to the reef, a difficult thing in the inky blackness of night. I did however see at least a hundred meteors as well as satellites in orbit. The heavens were quite breathtaking.  However there was a problem.

6:30 came and went and where was the sun? I thought to myself is this the way the world really ends, and just when I'm starting this sailing trip. Or maybe the sun rises every day except for every so often when he forgets that he has a day's work ahead of him, probably because he was out boozing with his luna girlfriend. I was terribly perplexed by this, until I realized I had somehow convinced myself to set all devices to mountain time in a sleep deprived haze.  It's a real good thing there isn't much to hit out in our part of the Gulf, I couldn't imagine driving a car feeling like that. Those extra 2 hours were a bit tough, but sunrise was perfectly timed (and I mean perfect, how my motoring and switch to sailing and sailing speed had me entering the difficult part of the pass with light over my shoulders). This has me nicely anchored by 7:30, and checked into the landside park rangers by 8:30.

Anyway I made sure the rangers knew I was the son of Lesley from Finance. Also, thus far everybody who heard the boat's name knew Who I was talking about. The fellow sailors lamented that it just isn't bigger on the inside, and the ranger suggested my doctor would be good for emergency surgery, I said yes but only on a diesel.

Ok I'm rambling, but I'm trying to cook some potatoes in saltwater because mashed potatoes with ham and spices and butter sounds delicious, I wonder if it will work.

Tomorrow snorkel the whole island.  Snorkel a nearby wreck. Catch some baitfish and try to catch that 3' grouper I keep seeing swim around. Even if he is a goliath grouper AKA jewfish, I want a picture!