Location: Underway to St. Barths
Today started with a morning wake up call to the melodic tunes of Colbie Callet Brighter than the sun. The chefs prepared us a lovely breakfast meal of blueberry muffins accompanied by oatmeal. After our briefing on the goings-on of the day, we were allowed free time to do whatever last-minute thing we had planned on the island. Several of us took a little hike out to the fort that overlooked our dockyard. The area we stayed in, Antigua, had been settled in the early 1800s. Many of the buildings have been preserved over the years so that while you walk around the town, you feel you are stepping back in time. Hiking to the fort was a similar experience. There wasn’t much up there to see other than the stone walls, buildings, and a single cannon that was aimed out toward the ocean, but it was easy to imagine a time when the fort was bustling with soldiers preparing for some siege on the town. Along the way down from the fort, there were wild goats that continually trekked around the area; a few even came over to say hi. After we had a few mid-morning milkshakes, the crew returned to the boat for lunch and pre-passage prep. We mustered ourselves together and began to dress Ocean Star for our sail to St. Barts. Removing sail covers, swabbing the deck, preparing the cabin for 40 degrees of tilt/ 40 knots of wind, and checking all our lines and riggings were just a few of the tasks we took care of. We refueled for the voyage and just finished our dinner underway. The question that was asked this evening for the crew to answer was, what are things that this voyage has made you more aware of and thankful for. I can say that we will all be returning home with more grateful hearts and lighter spirits after this voyage. So many wonderful memories have already been made, with many more to come.