(JK) Joined the crew on Wednesday in Gdansk from the Netherlands. Since arrival we've been plagued by either strong or weak winds. Currently we are faced with 120 sea miles till Klaipeda, Lithuania. The Baltic's adjacency to the Russian Kaliningrad enclave presents an inability to harbor for save haven if the weather turns. On Saturday we attempted the journey, however the worsening state of weather conditions in Lithuania meant only a frustrating total of 12 sea miles gained. Hence we sought refuge in the Island of Hel at the edge of Gdansk bay, described best as a retreat were the crew collectively tucks the tail in. Coincidentally, the island of Hel metaphorically matched our current situation. Perhaps purgatory is the better metaphor, where waiting is the primary objective and the collective fate of our journey hangs in the balance of a higher power - the weather. As our streak of bad weather continues the crew's grumbles of discontent are becoming the main topic at the table. Equally frustrating are the dire need for repairs, which is casting doubt over our capability to continue and finish the journey ahead. The water pump stopped working, as did the battery-refresher and the stern starboard clamp, whose missing presence is now being primarily filled by duct tape. In response to the tolls taking to the Felix, it seems as if we are having to constantly redefine necessities as non-necessities, which are breaking from non-successful days of sailing. Similarly to the weather, pressure is building among the crew. Enthusiasm is being shadowed by doubt, hopes seemingly based in naivety. Perhaps the scale of the journey is dawning upon us, signalled by the fact that we are 600 sea miles behind what our original hopes had predicted. Perhaps we are only stuck in a rut. Perhaps we must change the route we promised ourselves. Either way the simple fact that the question must be posed reflects the position we find ourselves in. Thus the last few days a dichotomy in answers has been assumed to the lingering question of whether or not to take arms against a sea of outrageous fortune.
