Location: Underway to Grenada
I guess I will start this off by saying Happy Earth Strong to my fellow crewmate Sammy. Today (Our 12th day of the program) was a bright and early wake-up call. I was fortunate enough to wake up earlier than all the other crew so I could have the joy of waking them up. At 7:00 A.M., we got off the mooring ball that had held Ocean Star in Nevis and began making our way to Grenada. This passage is the longest passage that we will go through over these 80 days. 3-4 days may not sound long to the folks at home, but the lack of freshwater showers over passage days could make it far too easy for all of us to become pungent. After Motoring with sails up for a good bit at the beginning of the day, we kicked it over to sole wind power. These are my favorite moments on board so far. The wind hitting your face with no land in sight is quite a feeling. Everyone is still getting used to our new watch team hours. We have a 3-hour shift that is followed by a break. The crew used these breaks to hammer out some of their school work as well as simply take in everything around them. I sat on deck for hours today just listening to my self-proclaimed Sailing Music, which was a lot of fun. Come watch time. We have to stay in the cockpit and face the bow. We watch out for any ships that may cross our path and do any needed sail work if either the wind changes or simply if Drew just feels giddy. We ended the day as we normally do, with the exception of the excessive rocking. We ate a well-cooked meal by our chef of the day, Alev, and then all shared a song and a memory that we had that was attached to said song. So in summary a relaxing and rewarding day.
Honestly, I am feeling a bit homesick. Only because my people back home are so awesome. Mom, I miss you so much. I hope pottery classes and the club are both amazing. Dad, I hope you, the dogs, and Colleen are able to still enjoy life now that I am gone. It must be hard. In seriousness, I love you. Nanda, I miss you, Brodie. Saudades is real. Keep giving Bruno a hard time, as always. And make sure that the homies see this, too. Kaio, sorry I havent reached out yet. My bad time management is nobodys fault but mine. Just letting it be known that your version of banana pancakes is played every time I need a pick-me-up. Daniel, finish school out even though you hate it. I can promise you that the flowers do bloom on the other side. Floyd, dont get suspended again. I will make you take the bus. Rohan, stay courageous. Whatever it is, just keep it. Grandpa and Grandma, thank you guys for making this possible. Sailing is living up to the hype I was giving it. Love you all truly. Over, Out.