Day 55 Indian Ocean

Tuesday, sunny and smooth morning, rougher and overcast afternoon. Last night: Supper was Chicken Cordon Bleu. The sun setting through the haze was a striking red. Finished watching Caddy Shack. Had mild roll overnight. There was another time zone change, so we are 10 hours ahead of home now.

We are clear of Somalia, so the security protochol is back to normal today. I spent 2 hours on the focsl after lunch, listening to the book on ipod. If the raised platform I favor is too windy, I sit on a hatch counterweight just behind the raised part. Wore only a tee shirt and Bermudas, so I slathered on the sunscreen. Corrosion maintenance continues. Sounded like a dentist's office this morning. On my walk to the focsl on the dry starboard side, I see a lot of paint chips on the deck. By now, the decks will be swept clean and the bare spots will be primed. I returned on the wet port side, where waves occasionally splash onto upper main deck. There is no grinding or painting there today.

Need to start my shopping list for Jakarta: more sun screen, more cabin snacks. Also need to start studying another phrase book. I received the latest schedule by email. I'm told it can be found on the Rickmers website. It is subject to revision weekly. The schedule on my main website is quite incorrect now. The end date is almost a month off, and we will not visit Kuwait or Hong Kong. The new schedule includes a stop in Venezuela on 2/18/09, with arrival in Houston 2/27/09. Might not be home until 3/5/09. Late this afternoon as we get further into the Indian Ocean, we are starting to get a little more roll. Might be putting everything away tonight.