Luxuries in Ascension

Although we were in Ascension for only two days, we used the time well. Besides getting lots of fuel and water, we enjoyed a few treats that were even nicer than normal. Now, after a hot twenty-five day passage on a small boat, things as simple as a toilet that you do not need to pump seem luxurious.
Our first treat came when Daddy, Jack, and I were offered a cup of ice water in the air-conditioned immigration office. My mouth was actually cold and my brow was not sweaty for once. When we returned to Sila with some stale ice cream, I was sure we had found Atlantis instead of Ascension. Regardless of the island's name, Jack and I made sure our stop was worth it. We had seven drinks each, all luxuriously ice cold.

Air conditioning was not just found in the store and customs office. We found another building that was considerably more interesting as well as cool. The museum was my favorite building on Ascension. I learned all about the history of the island from when its rare type of volcano erupted to create a small island in the middle of nowhere. It was almost immediately used as a restock base for sailors as they emerged from the doldrums or prepared to cross them. It became a military base to help defend the route to St. Helena once Napoleon was exiled to there.

When Napoleon died, Ascension reverted to its original use as a restocking point. During World War 2 it was briefly in major use. Later, when Argentina attacked the Falklands, it briefly had the busiest air field in the world as it refueled all the passing ships and planes. Now it is just a small island with 800 inhabitants.It is now used just as a base for communications throughout the UK as well as a refueling point for planes going to the Falklands. After reading all this, Jack and I left the wonderfully cool air and visited an old fort. Right after that, we were off to find another shady cool place.

After two short days, we set sail again. It is nice to be out at sea again, although it does mean I am sitting here writing this with a damp brow. On this passage, a cooling pastime has been discovered. We have found that hanging our feet over the side and into the quickly passing water can be just as refreshing as a visit to an air-conditioned store. - Porter

Ed. Note: Our anchorage at Ascension Island was 07° 55.1'S 014° 24.7'W. We arrived at 6 pm on Thursday, March 19 and we were back underway by 3pm on Saturday, March 21. While we would have enjoyed more time to explore this interesting island, we want to keep moving so that we have time in the northern latitudes before the austral summer ends. We now have the fuel that we may need to get us across the doldrums around the equator and on to the Cape Verde Islands, approximately 1,700 miles from Ascension.