Anticipation, Realization, Reflection

I heard my dad give the same toast at Christmas dinner at least a few times. He said that Christmas had three parts: Anticipation, Realization, and Reflection.

For the last six years, and in some ways for much longer than that, Christopher and I dreamed about crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a sailboat. Porter and Jack joined in the process a couple of years ago. Childhood dreams, for Christopher especially, converted to adulthood goals create a lot of anticipation and a bit of pressure. Decades of "camping in good style" meant we had high expectations for ourselves for risk management, expedition behavior, enjoyment, and for the food!

On December 3^rd, we began to realize our dream when we left Mindelo in the Cape Verde Islands. It was a little surreal for me to actually be out there in the middle of the ocean. I am at a loss for words to describe how it felt to be there. Having lived in rural places for most of my life, I am used to seeing many stars at night. Even so, the number of stars visible was extraordinary because there is 180 degrees of sky in all directions: no pesky mountains to block the view. There were several consecutive days when we did not see another boat, even on radar, did not hear anyone on the VHF radio, and did not see an airplane. It was a strange sensation of feeling as remote as I have ever been while also being quite comfortable with all the amenities that Sila provides.

We quickly developed a pattern and rhythm to our days such that each day seemed to go by fast. Even my solo night watch- I covered midnight to 4 am- seemed to go by more quickly as we sailed east. Days were filled with sailing the boat, preparing delicious meals, cleaning, playing backgammon, conducting our daily crew meeting, dancing in the cockpit to LMFAO, Katy Perry, One Republic and Michael Franti (JackRabbit is our primary DJ), and napping when possible. The water and the air were 25 degrees Celsius most of the time, so we welcomed the opportunity to swim in the middle of the ocean on a calm day and appreciated the cooling effect of the wind and the sunset.

Our arrival in Antigua on December 18, 16 days after leaving Mindelo, marks the beginning of the period of reflection. We began by looking at some of the details, noting things like our average daily run of 132 miles (ranging from 80-170+ nautical miles per day), our water usage of 3½ liters per person each day. We also took stock of Sila, and she shows little wear for the effort. Only after a couple of days of rest has the reality of the crossing started to sink in.

On the final night at sea, Jack noted correctly that our voyage was truly a team effort. Every single one of us played an important role in making it not only a successful passage but also one that was filled with joy and good humor. We did it and we did it in good style. It is a rather satisfying day when one can cross off a lifelong bucket list item that is the product of years of planning and effort.

Now with a bit more experience under our belts, we squint our eyes and look off to the horizon and wonder what is just past the edge… onward the adventure continues. And pictures to follow in the next couple of days. – Molly