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Booby landing!
September 28, 2007 - Day 81 10.9801N,147.4989W
The last two days have been just depressing, with almost nonstop rain. Given my goal to slow down my westward progress, I let the boat run with the seas, without rowing which would have added extra miles. Yesterday was another substantial day, with 35.3 miles covered due west sunset to sunset.
The boat received wave after wave of torrential rain while I remained in the cabin, monitoring, reading, snoozing. "Should I row one day, and sea anchor the next just to get some exercise?" I wondered to myself... I was just coming out of a week long idleness, now even with the boat in motion, the laze hadn't gone away.
The bulkhead of the boat leaned back toward the stern a little, which helped in getting in and out of the cabin. But this also meant that, without a 3-4 foot awning covering the top of the entrance, rain drops found their way in, or the sun baked the cabin, depending. In the persistent rain, I found it difficult to do emails or dispatches for fear of getting my communication gear wet. Alternative to the awning over the entrance is an external antenna to my satellite phone...
As I was stepping outside between spells of rain, a shadow passed overhead. Immediately I thought of a large bird. By the time I sat outside leaning on the bulkhead, a booby circled around and came as if to land on my head; I sat motionless, watching. It went past me so low and so slow, it had to have landed on the cabin roof. I rose up slowly holding my breath, turning toward the stern at the same time. I first saw the tip of my rudder indicator, then the Washington State flag below it. If I rose little further up I should see the bird. Then I saw the black glass surface of the solar panels, but no bird.
Had the bird kept flying? I scanned the horizon quickly, then spotted the bird on the water just behind my boat. It was dipping its bill in the water repeatedly, as if to drink from the sea. The bird took flight again as I reached for my camera and the camcorder.
After two more rounds, the booby repeated its previous approach, and this time I heard its feet clawing on the solar panels. It had landed!
Boobies do not land on the water at night to rest like the sheerwater and the albatross, so they will favor a solid object to rest when tired. The rolling motion of my boat did not give the poor bird much respite, though. With each wave, the clawing feet of the bird tried to find purchase on the wet glass solar panel surfaces, slipping and sliding, staying on the roof only with much effort by flapping its wings. Many times I was tempted to put my arm out under its feet to offer it a solid perch, I was that close!
Eventually the booby flew off, and another heavy downpour forced me inside. Over the following few hours if I listened carefully, I could hear the booby's feet on the roof and its seldom goose like call, keeping me company.
Erden.
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A booby visited my boat briefly. I was so close, and it wasn't afraid.
Wings stretched and occasionally flapping, the booby balanced itself on the rolling boat.
