29. Blips. Sophie now writes about a big argument that broke out on the ship. The grommets (metal rings around the holes in the sail which rope goes through) on one side of a sail had all popped, and Uncle Stew and Brian were looking for someone to blame. Naturally, they both pointed their fingers at Cody. When Cody described what had happened to the sails, instead of using the proper sailing terminology, he used phrases like “hole thingys” and “metal thingys” that greatly upset Uncle Stew, who called Cody an “idjit.” Overhearing this, Uncle Mo got angry at Stew for being rude to his son, and then at Cody for starting the whole incident. Cody and Mo then have a yelling match below deck. At lunch, everyone just sits quietly and tries to forget the fight.
Sophie writes that morale seems to improve among her boat family the next day, though they are all sleep-deprived. Every little thing they do, she says, requires great effort. Even just walking several steps is “like rock climbing.” Yet despite all the hassle, Sophie says that she enjoys living on the boat—she likes being in a self-contained group of people who can brave the ocean together.
Sophie’s earlier uncertainty about how the crew would fare while confined to the boat gets justified here. Stew and Brian, bossy and argumentative as usual, blame the problem with the sail on Cody, despite not really knowing whether or not it was his fault. Cody’s lighthearted silliness once again clashes with their cold sense of rationality and seriousness, to the point where Stew feels emboldened enough to directly insult Cody. Mo, for once, actually sticks up for his son—revealing a side to him we haven’t seen so far.
The gravity of just how challenging boat-life really is comes through here in Sophie’s comparison of walking to rock climbing. Yet Sophie’s enthusiasm about sailing shines through—despite the hardships and difficulties, she likes being in a small community on a tiny boat.