Location: Underway to the Caribbean
The days morph together, and time is dependent on the sun, the moon, the stars, and, of course, watch. Our passage has been measured by the life-changing events as follows:
– real beautiful chicken for Thanksgiving
– ocean showers in the middle of the Atlantic
– Secret Santa was deep-sea baby was gifted
– Most importantly, boat rave.
However, I feel that is the small and finite moments that make this passage so fulfilling. I awoke for 8-12 watch exhausted, as a sailing dream still fluttered around in my head. We were warned to grab foulies as there were multiple squalls in the area. Definitely in for a stormy watch. I climbed the companionway blurry-eyed, where large white canvas sails and a full rainbow greeted me. It stretched over the vast blue sky, and we slowly made our way to the cockpit. The act of walking is a feat in itself in rough wind driven waves, timed with the rolls of the deep endless ocean.
The winds are powerful, tickling my face and tangling my hair. A blessing, carrying us across oceans and oceans of blue. Caroline told me that our wind force got to 6, and another team had seen lightning in the early morning hours. When we relieved the previous watch, I completed a boat check and made myself coffee. After enjoying the quiet peace in the engine room, I made my way up on deck to a light rain. I just feel absolutely so alive here in the middle of nowhere and everywhere. Life is simple, and learning the ins and outs of the boat is complicated yet enjoyable. The highlights from my day always surround the ocean and the elements. My highlight today was having to put the main staysail back up after it was taken down for the first time all passage because of being overpowered in the wind last night. Gordon and I were on the mermaid line, and as we were about to raise, it downpoured. Were all immediately soaked through in a warm rain without our foulies (that we might have taken off when the sun came out), and the wind force was powerful and just in between terrifying and exhilarating.
We raised that sail as the rain pelted our face, and as quickly as the storm came, it left.
The anticipation to get to land is thick like these storm clouds. I keep thinking, when will I be completely surrounded by ocean and waves and be completely at peace under white sails and a cumulus sky? Not for a while, so Ill keep these peaceful moments near, nice and tight.