Location: Underway to Mossel Bay, South Africa
We are south of the continent of Africa, rolling in the all too familiar Indian Ocean swell. It’s a clear, brisk day with the chill of winter in the wind, peculiar since it is late spring-early summer in the southern hemisphere. I, for one, don’t mind the chill at all because, with Thanksgiving behind us and December right here, it’s time to start thinking Christmas and a chilly, clear sunny day is just like the holiday season back home in southern California for me. Others expect a little more snow for their Christmas to be complete, but all agree the chill has us thinking in the holiday spirit. Argo’s Christmas present to us all will be a safe passage across roughly a quarter of the globe, some 7,000 nm, and enough fond memories to last a lifetime. We have seen more animal wildlife than on any other trip, with orangutans, monkeys, dolphins, humpback whales, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, hippos, crocs, giraffes, zebras, and many more all up close and personal. A few hours ago, on my watch, we passed Argo’s previous “most miles in a semester traveled” and are now currently at 6,935nm and still climbing. We’ve crossed an ocean, weathered rolly seas, extreme storms, and some of the most difficult waters known to sailors. And we still have a Cape to round! Yes, new friends, fond memories, and a safe passage through the end are the best present for us all. Thank you, Argo.