Location: Underway to Panama
Hello everyone!!
Today we began our week-long passage to Panama! Everyone aboard is so stoked to be starting this part of our journey and finally making our way over to the Pacific Ocean. I woke up this morning and jumped off the bowsprit for my daily morning swim, trying to take in every moment and feeling since we likely won’t be able to swim until we make it to the Galapagos in about three weeks. The water was glassy and soft, as Sam and I like to call it, and the bubbles from Izzy finishing up her Advanced Open Water certification (!!!!! YAY IZZY!!!!!) were coming up all around me. We ate breakfast and had free time until everyone got shuttled to shore for our Covid tests. It was absolutely DOWNPOURING for the first group, but they saw Humpback whales breaching just past the harbor, so I don’t think anyone was too upset about being soaking wet for a little while. After all the groups had made it back from being tested, we had lunch and began passage prep, in which we finished up a few things that allow us to make a safe passage. An army of people were in the salon helping put away food from a huge provisioning run that Lolo had made earlier in the day, and I can confidently say that I have never, and will likely never again, see so many cans of garbanzo beans all in one place. After what felt like hours and hours of prep, the mooring ball was finally dropped, booms were lifted, sails were raised, and we were off. Although I think I have said this every single time I’ve ever been sailing, but the moment when the engine turned off, and we were just using the wind in our sails to move through the bright blue water was one of the most peaceful and freeing feelings.
Today was also a very monumental day because we had the privilege of taking our first deck showers!!! For those less framilar with Seamester style deck showers, a hose gets hooked up to the backup fire pump and then tied up on a shroud. To put it even more simply: we showered using a firehose. I will forever laugh at the image of us bracing ourselves, not for the rocking and rolling of the boat, but for the pressure washer of a shower we had to withstand. “Well, that was an experience” was the most used phrase for the hours following this endeavor.
Dinner was absolutely delicious pulled chicken tacos, made by the lovely Marina, which were completely devoured down to the last black bean and drop of mango salsa. We had the privilege of eating dinner without a speck of land in sight and heading into one of the most beautiful sunsets of the trip. It was quite the way to start this leg of our journey.
P.S. Last night, my phone sacrificed herself to the ocean gods when I was far too excited about eating a jar of peanut butter and Oreos on the bowsprit. Mom, Dad, Adelaide, Ella, and Cheezo, I’ll talk to ya when I get home 🙂 Miss you people. Tell the goats and doggo I say hello 🙂
Current position:
13 08.86′ N
61 50.52′ W
Pictured:
A rainbow over St. Vincent as we left the harbor
Una and Bella helping to put away provisions