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Wednesday, January 25th Location: somewhere between St Maarten and the Virgin Islands, Caribbean Sea He Said: 1pm We’re only 4 hours out and we’ve already covered 30 miles… the wind is at our back and the seas are great… we’ve got 6 footers with 10 foot swells coming up from behind… the swells give us that little extra push that almost gets us surfing! We’ve been averaging about 6-7 knots but now the wind has filled in a little better and we’ve picked up to 8 knots average and topping 9 knots several times! I must admit… I love the anchorages, the white sand beaches everywhere, the spectacular variety of islands and island cultures… but I love being at SEA!! It’s funny but that’s the only times I really feel anticipation building… when we’re getting ready to head to sea. Maybe I was just locked in the lagoon too long, but for me today has been a fantastic day… the weather is absolutely perfect, the sun is shining and we’re out for what seems like a daysail on the ocean! It’s a bit different for me I will admit, but I’ve already logged almost 20,000 miles of sailing under my belt, and most of that in what most people would regard as storm conditions. All my closest friends always suspected there was something a little ‘different’ about me, I was always known as the one who was heading out sailing when everyone else was down at their boats doubling up their lines to the dock so their boats wouldn’t break loose from the wind, lol. Fact is, I’m just starting to figure it out myself… I just like to be at sea. It truly is the only time I feel in control of my own destiny and can actually leave the feel of restraint behind… where else on Earth can you go and not have a zillion outside forces inadvertently taking control of your life away from you… nowhere! Out here it’s just us on a sailboat with the wind and the waves as the only things we have to contend with. The trip down here from Canada really opened my eyes and made the world a smaller place… I can really feel the pull of the horizon and what lies beyond it… I know there are distant places well within my reach now! There never really is a dull day at sea… everyone always asks “what do you do out there, it must be terribly boring”, but truth be known there is nothing more amazing and relaxing for the soul than just being at sea and dealing with whatever mother nature happens to throw your way. Sure there are lots of things that have to be dealt with… things break, things wear out, and things need to be fixed and you can’t just pull into a service station at sea, you have to fix it yourself… and if it’s something that needs to be fixed immediately or you can’t get where your going, you better know how to fix it! But even considering all that, you still have a lot of time to yourself to just sit and do whatever… some like to read, some like to just sit and listen to the wind and watch the waves… it’s almost hypnotic watching endless waves just ‘slide’ under the boat one after the other and just carry you along on your way to new discovery. One of our crewmembers on our trip down the Atlantic from the mainland commented on our arrival “you’re a much better captain than I thought you’d be” and I must admit I’m still trying to figure out that one, lol… I don’t think she meant she thought I was a bad captain before that, but I think the effect of the sea had made her seriously contemplate her own mortality and somehow, here was this person who helped her survive the trip and conquer her own fears. Sounds good to me, I think I choose to remember it like that, lol. Truth is, I loved that part of the trip, being at sea for 8 days was a real life changing experience and it really gives one time to explore their own sense of ‘being’. I’ve sailed a lot of miles in a lot of weather and taken a lot of people with me over the past few years, and even I must admit that Terri is a real trooper… when the chips are down, if I need help, she’s right there no matter how bad the weather is or how she’s feeling. She doesn’t take to the sea like I do, but it still amazes me that she endures some of these trips with me. She really enjoys the landfalls, nothing makes her happier than arriving somewhere new and before the anchor is down she’s got her shoes on ready to go explore her next paradise, lol. Me, I’m a little different… I love the destinations too, but I’m much more about the journey. Arriving somewhere new is kind of the end of my favorite part, once I get there I really enjoy just sitting on the boat and taking in my new surroundings and reflecting on what it actually took to get there. Some of you may have trouble understanding that… to put it into a better perspective for you consider that almost everyone has a favorite place to sit and reflect on their day and it’s usually someplace at home like a deck or a patio where you can sit in peace and just enjoy the view around your home that makes you feel comfy and at home… well I consider my boat as my floating deck or patio… I love the same feeling of reflecting from my favorite place, only I get to change my view at will… how cool is that! I guess that’s what makes Terri and I great together, I love the journey and then arriving someplace new, and she loves the destinations and the fact that I was able to bring her safely to these cool places, you can’t find a much better combination than that! The only thing noticeably absent really is our kids. I really look forward to the time when my kids are old enough to do some cruising with us on a longer term basis than a week or a weekend here and there. I know they really enjoy it already; they’ve been doing it with me almost since birth and have always had their favorite islands that they love to explore and they always seem to get excited at the prospect of finding a new one with new things and places to explore. They would definitely love it down here and I can’t wait to bring them here this spring, the amount of discovery available for them down here is almost limitless! I’d have to say I’m still trying to figure it all out, but I’m getting there! This lifestyle is unlike any other on Earth, nobody said life was supposed to be simple, but I still feel like I learn something new every day! I guess that’s what people really seem to enjoy about cruising with us, we show them that sometimes it’s more important to just stop and look at the world around you and see what there is to learn… if you look close enough there’s always something! 6pm What a great passage so far! The seas have been good to us this voyage, even the sun set so elegantly just off our port bow. Terri made us a pasta dinner to eat underway and we’re just coming into view of the lights of Virgin Gorda off our bow. By 7:30 we could see every star in the sky and for the first time down here saw bio-luminescence in the water, the micro-organisms that ‘light’ up as the boat passes through and disturbs the water around them… very cool! It’s amazing to sit and watch these waves go by, they are so gentle as they pass under the boat, and when they appear on the other side you think “wow, that’s big”, but the boat just keeps on sliding over them, one after the other. Between that and the stars that are out tonight, Terri and I have just been sitting in the cockpit staring out in amazement the past couple hours! Not every ocean passage is this easy, but this has been a good one. We’re about 10 miles out now and expect to be at anchor in Virgin Gorda Sound by 9:30… that’s where the Bitter End Yacht Club is, one of the most prestigious clubs in the BVI, and we just talked to our friends on the radio… their all waiting for us to arrive so we can get together for a bit before they all head off to St Maarten tomorrow. So far tonight has been picture perfect… I wonder what tomorrow will bring! Cheers,
She Said: This is our second attempt to escape from Simpson Lagoon and it is looking like we might be successful at last! We got up early and I took Ashley to shore for a quick pee and Rick checked emails on the dinghy dock. We pulled up anchor and were circling the opening to the bridge a good half hour before it was to open. Nothing was going to stop us now. By the time the bridge opened there were about 12 boats behind us all circling like sharks ready to attack the bridge! It opened and there was a mass exodus for the open water! It felt great to be on our way. Unfortunately it seemed like all the strong winds that had kept us trapped in St. Martin had disappeared. We were struggling to find any wind to sail with. As we passed around the coast the wind picked up nicely and we were sailing at a great pace. And it wasn’t too rough either which made me and Ashley happy. We had taken our Gravol and Dramamine just in case – only draw back being they make me very sleepy and I feel like I’m floating. Ha ha, I guess I really am floating too! We both sat up in the cockpit and I put some mellow tunes on and we just sailed along gliding through the water. It was really peaceful and hypnotic. It’s amazing how long you can just stare out at the waves and horizon and your mind just wanders here and there touching on thoughts, life events, spiritual feelings and all sorts of images and memories. It is kind of cool to just let it float and swirl and to see what it comes up with. There is often no real rhythm or flow it just meanders in a gentle and opening stream of consciousness. My mind kept touching on the friends we had just said goodbye to last night. I think one of the most wonderful things about cruising and sailing are the incredible people you meet and become instant families with. One of the hardest and most sad things about cruising to having to say goodbye to these amazing people who now are part of your everyday life, people you have traveled far with and gone through rough weather, and wonderful discoveries and new places. People you have opened your heart and soul to and feel such a connection that is so deep and real - so quickly. I can’t explain how the connection you feel with friends can develop to such a deep level in such a short time. It must have to do with leading such different lives of exploration both in body and soul. Somehow we can recognize a fellow soul mate in these cruisers and the relationship blossoms quickly. It is amazing how important these friends become and you seem to rely on them for advice, companionship, support and love. Maybe because we are all so far from our families and friends on shore that we cling to each other and give each other the love and connections we all need as humans. What ever it is it is lovely and fleeting and beautiful because we know the inevitable goodbye is not so far away. We can also know that we will stay in touch with many of the friends we meet and will see them again in distant ports. Farewell my gorgeous friends, we will miss you so very much but we will talk on the radio, email and we will anchor together again someday. Our journey back to the BVI continued to be smooth and easy. I had a wee Dramamine induced nap and when I got up I made us a yummy spaghetti dinner and we expected to be in the anchorage by 9:30pm. We pulled into the anchorage at the expected time and maneuvered our way through the markers in the dark. Our friends on Helen Louise and Blueprint Match were anchored in this bay awaiting leaving the next afternoon for St. Martin. We wanted to stop off for the night on our way to Road Harbour to say our goodbyes. More goodbyes – I don’t know how much more goodbye I can take! We spent the a few hours on the beach just hanging with our friends. We tried not to talk about or think about saying farewell. Michele and I had met the first day back in Virginia and instantly became best friends and inseparable. To think we would no longer have each other to talk to and lean on was very hard. And we all bonded so much when we celebrated Chuck and Pam’s 25th anniversary on our own private beach together. We had been travelling with these two boats since we began our journey and it was going to feel empty without them from now on. We have had such highs and lows together on our journeys so far. We have touched each others lives in so many ways I know we will all stay connected and in touch. We said our tearful byes and jumped in our separate dinghies to head in different directions. We had to head for Tortola to get ready for our next charter. We still needed to provision and do a few other things in preparation for their arrival. I guess it was good we were going to be busy and distracted and I could keep my mind busy. Saying goodbye to these friends just makes me miss our kids and loved one at home even more if that is possible. I guess there is always that ying and yang in life, the good and the bad side by side. One cannot exist without the other, nor would we recognize one without the other. Both are needed to balance life. Onto new adventures with memories of our past ones to fuel the soul and strengthen the heart. Love and peace to everyone who has touched our lives. You have made us who we are and shape who we will become. Cheers, |