We left Bermuda with the next weather window. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and a gentle breeze beckoning us out to sea. It was a different experience than the harrowing one coming in to St. George’s with all the flashing buoys confusing me and the high winds and raging ocean in the pitch darkness.
The winds were gentle and we had to use the engine a few times during the day, but it was a great start to our next leg of the journey. Antigua… 980 miles due south. Once again, we were treated to glorious sunsets and gentle waves…at least at first.
Earlier this morning, waking up in a bunk on a sailboat that is bouncing 5 feet in the air and landing with a thunderous slap is truly an amazing experience. That a human being could actually fall asleep in a blender is a testament to the importance of the brain getting some rest. I had finished my 3-hour shift on deck at 4 a.m. The stars shone brightly and the moon laid a shimmering path to the west. Flying fish sprang out of the water and flew seemingly forever before splashing down next to the boat. I’m sure a few smacked into us; they didn’t seem to be able to control their flight path very well.
We had 3 reefs in the mainsail as we were on a close reach in the southeasterly breeze. The winds were gusting up to 24 knots and would knock us to an alarming angle, which we could avoid by heading more into the wind. It was like playing a video game, but using the wind instrument panel to guide what to do because it was too dark to see the sails and their tell tails. How could Jeff and Will sleep through all the bouncing over the waves and the jarring of the boat as it battled southward? Well, they were both seasoned sailors and would likely sleep through the storm that was approaching us…….
Our weather router, Chris Parker, is amazing. He would spend 15 minutes showing us pictures of the weather pattern using words like TROF, pocket of energy, squalls and other such terms. Just as I was about to turn off the zoom meeting not understanding what he was saying, he ended with, “And you don’t want to be here on Wednesday morning.” He used the mouse pointer to show exactly where we were heading……
“We’ll just have to go faster,” I thought to myself as I blew the third reef in the pitch blacknes of the middle of the night and watched us speed up plowing into the mountainous waves. The boat heeled over even more, and the auto helm started to groan again with the extra strain from the wind pressure on the sails. “Sorry old fella,” I told the auto helm, “We have to get a move on.” The jarring of the boat slapping on the enormous waves and the extra tilt of the boat made no difference to the slumbers of my crew as they continued to snore as I witnessed when I checked to see if they were in fact still alive….
We spend the day catching up on our sleep, and always making sure there is someone at the helm who is awake enough to keep an eye out for other boats and adjust the sails when a squall hits us. The rest of the time we spend cleaning up the breakfast and coffee that flies across the main salon as we get catapulted through the air holding onto the coffee cup in one hand and the plate of omelets in the other as if that would cushion our fall. Although you would think a sailor would learn not to open a windward cupboard without wearing a helmet and other protective gear, we never seem to learn. Getting assaulted with flying knives and plates is all part of the experience.
Sometimes we fish. We throw a line and hook off the stern. We have caught two delicious Mahi Mahi…….. Well, they looked delicious anyway. I think someone needs to teach us how to land the fish into the sailboat…… One day we hope to turn into accomplished fishers and be in a position to tell true fishing tales just like the other Salty Dawgs on this trip.
It is always a welcome relief to see other sailboats. Then again, when you realize they are just as crazy as us battling the elements of the open ocean when they could have flown a lot safer and cheaper to where they are headed…. well, it’s still nice to know we are not alone.
There may be squalls coming and big winds tonight, but for now we are living in the moment. The breeze is gentle and warm and the sun is tickling my skin as thoughts about how lucky I am to be out here with days like this on the horizon for the rest of the winter. It makes it all wothwhile….. And when the oceans rage tonight, I’ll think about being out here on the open ocean 400 miles south of Bermuda with memories of Sweet Caroline off my port bow flowing through my mind.
