Location: Saba
This morning was unusual in that, while we still woke up at 7 AM and ate breakfast at 7:30, we didn’t really start our day until ten thanks to the Statia customs officials who apparently work on what we call island time. Over the course of our time here on Ocean Star, a few of us have read many books. As they’ve finished, they’ve passed them off to other crewmembers. Now, the majority of the Ocean Star crew will be found on deck or down below with a book in hand if there is even a moment of downtime, and having all morning to read was really quite pleasant. However, once Kevin got back, it was time to get ship-shaped and ready to go with all the books stowed safely below. And so we made our way quickly on a broad reach to Saba in only three and a half hours of clear skies and rolling swells. As we got closer and closer, we saw the giant cliffs and mountains that tomorrow’s hike would entail. And let me tell you, it looks rather intimidating, even after the 14-mile Boiling Lake Hike. When we arrived, Kevin realized that someone was tied up to the mooring ball Ocean Star uses.
Kevin went to talk with the guy to explain our situation and ended up making friends. Apparently, this South African seadog of a man has lived on this little sailboat with his Colombian wife for the past 14 years and literally just sails around the Caribbean. This experience illuminates one of the many aspects that makes this part of the world so interesting: you meet people from all over and from all walks of life. Overall, it was a good day with beautiful weather, and it ended with a delicious Mexican dinner. Amazing. Sadly, this will be my last blog as skipper aboard Ocean Star as our voyage will come to an end in several days, and I have to say that this has been essentially the best experience I’ve ever had in my life. It has allowed me to learn and grow in so many different ways. And so, I say fair winds and seas. I hope they lead every one of us in many directions and on many equally exciting adventures.