Saturday, November 10, 2007

Another Adventure

Forgetting how miserable these sailing trips can be, I decided over the summer to sail the boat south. This time, the destination is Antigua, with a later transit to St. Lucia. Hurricane season prevents a departure during warmer weather, so we now sit waiting for a weather window to Bermuda. Michael and Ann had other pressing matters. Just my brother Jay and I are going to make this trip. We both feel nauseous. We intended to leave today, November 10, 2007, but our weather routing service, Dane and Jenifer Clark, predicted 50-60 knot winds over the Gulf Stream, with higher gusts, and all northerly. Having been tossed there before, we humbly decided to wait for permission to go. They predicted we would have to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday. We went by car to Truro for the weekend, needing a break from the work on the damp boat and being assured of a few extra days of warmth before cast off.

Mid day, I called Dane, and he declared that Monday is our departure window. Things have suddenly sped up. We need to provision the food and beverages, and I need to pack. Jay has been in his civvies since he arrived on Tuesday. He is already packed. Michael called and e-mailed several times. He sounded miserable. At 2 p.m. he lost his senses and declared he was coming with us for the first leg! Flights from Bermuda are available, and work seemed less pressing than the adventure. Hooray! There could not be better news. Not only is he a perfect companion on any voyage, but three people on board makes the voyage a lot safer. I couldn't get insurance for a two person voyage – that is a measure of the danger. With Michael on board, we will be able to sleep more than 3 hours at a time, and if there is an overboard situation, we are more likely to retrieve someone with two hauling him in. Our nausea has lifted. I am sure it will be back as the time to leave nears. I will check in again after we leave on Monday. Donna T

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