We made it. We had a little trouble with our autopilot when we left the Sir Francis Drake Channel, but Jim fixed it on the fly. The wind was light and the seas were mild so for a "to weather" trip, it was really great.
Because of the light seas, or was it because or the Benadryl, the little monsters were much more relaxed for this crossing than they were for the last one.
Jim and I did 4 hour watches, but because this was our first big crossing of the trip, neither of us got much sleep. It was waxing gibbous moon that seemed to wash the surface of the sea behind us with a river of mercury. As the moon set, the night sky over our bow opened up to reveal the Milky way, Mars and Saturn. Orion was laying down on his side and his belt seemed to point right down to St. Maartin.
The sunrise greeted us around 5:50 and because of the Sahara dust blown over from Africa, the horizon took on many different shades of gray and blue. The sun peaked above the dust and some cumulus clouds at about 15 degrees above the horizon as a blazing ball of white.
At about 7:00 we saw the faint outline of St. Maartin in the distance. We could make out the difference between the tops of the island, but not between its base and the sea. We were escorted into Simpson's bay by dozens of schools of flying fish flitting just about the surface of the waves on wings that looked like they belonged to fairies. Yeah, that was a nice way to get to St. Maarten. We'll be here for a few weeks and then it's off to points south. We'll keep you posted.
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8 comments:
Awesome journaling! The posts are fantastic and such a great way to stay connected - almost like being there! Congratulations on safe passage to St. Maarten - enjoy! looking forward to hearing about your time there ...
love, Mom/Jackie
So happy to hear from you guys. We love the updates! Bailey especially loves the doggy updates. Glad to hear it is going well! Hope the Chai was worth the rough trip! Miss you guys!
I am so jealous of you guys. It sounds tough at first but you two will be veteran "old salts" when you return. Wonder how cats would survive. I think I've heard of ship's cats.
Miss you guys!
WOW --- I am SO impressed with your decision to embark on thiws fabulous and EXCITING journey!. I intend to "live through your experiences" and will be checking in on your progress. Everyone (including those adorable puppies) look happy, healthy and BRAVE! As Townley always says, enjoy the journey life provides. Miss you tremendously and will hold you both in thoughts & prayers throughout your journey. BIG hugs & oodles of love, Mary
Am I the only one who couldn't stop laughing when I read, "It was waxing gibbous moon that seemed to wash the surface of the sea behind us with a river of mercury"?
I didn't know we needed boots to read your blog!
P.S. Congrats on making it safely. Where's the itinerary you promised to post, so I can escape this hell pit and come make fun of you in person?
Thanks for letting me in on the story so far. Very funny and scary, too. Yeah, the gibbous moon was abit 'poetic'. And, I too want the itinerary as the months move along. 7 foot waves, hmmmm, maybe I will choose more tranquil seas to make my visit! Love, Annette.
Hey guys!
Got your email but have been too busy getting ready for our little vacation (compared to your incredible trip) to reply until now. I'll be sure to keep up with your adventures!
Rob and I hope that you both are having the time of your life! If you get to Anguilla, which you may have already done, please enjoy Shoal Bay.........truely a beautiful beach! A-1 Cycling misses both of you!
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