‘They are all in the memory bank to savour during the winter months at home’ – Lu Heikell

Lu Heikell considered the half-forgotten half-remembered sailing experiences that linger during the long winter months

The yacht Jonathan battles through the Cape’s notoriously stormy seas
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There is a meme that appears on my social media with a Kermit the Frog puppet looking wistfully out of a window into a wintry scene. The caption usually reads something like: ‘Does my boat think of me when she is alone in the boatyard?’

It’s about now that I start getting itchy feet. Yes, being inside at a desk has its attractions when it is gnarly and cold outside, but I still find myself checking the planned maintenance lists, mentally running through the jobs, and the bits and pieces we will need to do them.

From there, it doesn’t take long before my considered planning gets diverted into recalling the cruises of yesteryear. The memories are often abstract – not necessarily the details of the voyage, more the feeling that went with it.

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The relief of landfall in Andros after a hairy passage across the Aegean. A mix of excitement and trepidation when realising we had the whole Pacific Ocean ahead of us as we exited the Panama Canal. The joy of catching my first tuna on an Atlantic crossing. They are all there in the memory bank to bring back that sailing feeling during the winter months at home. But I think one of the things I miss most are the night passages.

On a moonless night, it is magical to scan the sky, picking out familiar constellations and marvelling at the bioluminescence twinkling in our wake. Likewise, a full moon illuminates the waves and the sails, and sends moonbeams to guide us. Mole – our autopilot – is usually driving, so apart from keeping an eye on the wind direction, and scanning around for ships, it is the perfect time for what I call ‘night-thinking’.

It’s a bit like daydreaming, just, well, it’s when you are awake during the night hours. There are far fewer distractions, and I just love the space it gives you. It is a space that I rarely find on land, and I cherish it.

Of course, not all night watches are so serene. Squalls rolling through can ruin your night-thinking. Reef the genoa, alter course, fingers crossed for a light one, not a full-bore mini-gale and wild wind shifts, then resume.

And the other big distraction – ships – not so much on ocean passages, but pretty much a given in coastal areas. With AIS, things are simpler, but even so you must pay attention. Early on in my night watch years, we were heading from Sicily towards Greece. I was diligently scanning the horizon throughout my three-hour shift, while also marvelling at the stars and learning the constellations and planets. It was time to hand over to Rod, so I made a final scan, and noted a possible ship away off the starboard bow and ducked down below to wake him and put the kettle on. Within a few minutes, Rod was up in the cockpit, and I handed him his cup of tea.

‘Nothing much to report,’ I said. ‘Just that ship on starboard bow a way off.’ ‘Which ship?’ asked Rod, a little sleepily. I glanced out to show him and was momentarily confused. Rod had twigged before me as he pointed up to a star rising in the east. ‘That one?’ he asked with a grin.

That’s enough daydreaming now – back to the day job, until the summer when I hope to do more night-thinking.

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