Location: Antigua
As the sun rose this morning over the 150-foot yacht docked off our stern, the smell of Ned and Kira’s breakfast wafted from the galley: a smorgasbord of pancakes and other delicious foods was on the menu for our last breakfast as a crew. After a quick cleanup, we kicked off a BA unlike any other BA. Usually, during our routine post-passage boat appreciations, we clean out the fridge, cover the sails, and wash the deck, but today, we went beyond our past checklists. We also made every pin sparkle, the haul shine with a little elbow grease, and every cabin and bunk look like they were cleaned by a professional. Despite the rain showers that we endured throughout the day, Argo now looks like a mega yacht ready to race in a regatta. As the last deck brush was put away, the smiles and watery eyes of the crew showed the pride that they had in their beloved vessel. This may be the last day the Spring 2010 crew of S/Y Argo is complete in order to recite our well-practiced count-off, but this only begins our journey down the ‘road less traveled.” From this point forward, we have chosen a path that will be full of adventure and a group of friends who are always there to share those adventures. *To the crew of Argo: As I write this final blog entry, I’m sitting at the chart house table thinking about how Argo already misses the businesses of a full boat. It may be only 7 o’clock in the morning, but usually, by this hour, 24 people are laughing in the salon or on deck sipping their coffee. The quietness is almost deafening. So, for one final time, thank you to the Spring 2010 crew of Argo and the people who made this adventure possible for those 24. These past 90 days were one for the record books*