Ocean Dreaming

       The steel ring of barges at night would be beautiful. All the stars and planets would be right there, hanging above you so close you could almost reach up and touch them. The nights I spent sailing in the South Pacific were truly amazing. The Milky Way was so thick with stars you could read by their light. Having the opportunity to see the universe again in all its splendor is every sailormans' dream.
       The Spring phosphorescence is so remarkable there are just no words to describe it. Only by your direct experience could I even convince you of this majesty as the vessel trails through the water with the glitter all astern. Sometimes it is hard to tell when the ocean becomes just another star in the universe. You hardly want to sleep for fear you'll miss something. 

         Then the big creatures rise to the surface at night to feed. The really big fish like molas and mantas, whales and dolphins, turtles and jellyfish all make their feeding forays at night when the smaller fry rise to the moonlight.         

       The flying fish are chased out of the water and sail overhead like sliver gliders as they disappear into another wave, all wild eyed and happy to be alive. Sometimes they take wing just to be flying again. On the ocean, the wind is the most singular presence around. You feel every nuanced nudge of air.  Things really get going at night.

        Leaving Fiji for Tonga one night on watch, Gb spied a light rising from the horizon. He blinked and blinked again. It was still rising and beginning to look like a masthead light of a freighter. He ran to get the skipper to confirm this. Don jumped up from a sound sleep. He poked his head out of the hatch and took a look.  All he said was, that's Venus rising. He went back to the comfort of sleeping with Linda. They laughed long and hard at this the next morning. Ultimately they said Gb did the right thing. However, he felt sheepish and stupid.
      Had this thought baking in my golden brain for some time now. In the older days sailors used to drag a knot log to keep distance traveled rather nicely. It is just a simple propeller that turns with a counter on deck. Why not put a electric generator mounted to the deck so that the trailing knot log turns a cable which turns an alternator?           Especially on a long cruise one could top off the battery bank fairly easily.  Any free power on board is certainly welcomed besides the usual solar panels. The knot log would work even on cloudy days and especially on the long nights. You could mount the alternator in a waterproof box with regularly scheduled maintenance days.