Our Passage from Spain to St. Croix in Pictures

Recently, we finished our third Atlantic Crossing. We started in Muxia,Spain and arrived in Christensted,St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands.This passage was not only across an ocean, but the longest distance we have ever gone without touching down onshore. It was 3,777 nautical miles (4,346 miles) and took us 24 days and 9 hours. We have been offshore for a longer time (precisely 3 more hours) but did not cover as much distance because we had lighter winds and sailed slower. Our average speed on this passage was 6.5 knots (7.5 mph) which is fast compared to our usual 5.8 knots (6.7 mph) which means we covered an average of 155 nautical miles (178 miles) every day. To total up all that in an easy sentence: we went really fast a long ways!

When we arrived, the four of us voted on our Most Valuable Crew Member. Here are our contestants.

Would it be me for doing extra watch at night? 

Or Daddy for navigating us through the ever-shifting maze of weather?
Or Jack for his passage surprises? Or would it be Mama for cooking delicious deep-dish pizza?

The winner in the end was The Wizard. The Wizard is our wind pilot that uses no electricity and steered about 3,700 nautical miles of 3,777!

Here Daddy sets up The Wizard to steer the rest of the way with only a few minor adjustments!

Throughout the passage, we had some delicious food, or at least delicious because we were on passage. I certainly wonder how much of it would be even remotely appetizing for anyone living in a normal setting.

Upon learning that we planned to have Pasta Carbonara (a typical passage meal and one that we had at least five times on this passage) for our last meal in port, I jumped into action. Offering to cook, I made fresh baked potatoes and fresh chorizo which we could not have at sea. For our last meal on plates in 24 days, it was very memorable.

Here I am holding a can of duck cassoulet, a type of beans in a can mix that is good over rice. We had talked about it ever since we left France, and finally got to have some again after a visit to France. Like I noted above, the Super U brand canned duck cassoulet is delicious at sea, but might not be so good at one's dining room table.

While in Spain, we purchased an entire boar's leg, which we left hanging. It supplied us with meat for Carbonara, pizza, and a stew.

 

Daddy, learning on the job, was our ham butcher.

 

Sadly, the day came when we took off the remaining meat and made a stew.

Mama purchased some salt cod in Spain, knowing it would keep. After soaking it for a few days, I cut it up, doing my best to remove all the skin and bones. The fish was tougher because of the salt and took a half hour of work to cut up. I then made a delicious potato, tomato, red pepper and fish stew.

During the passage we had a number of memorable moments. From departing to arriving, there are lots of fun things to remember. Here we leave Muxia,Spain behind. I steer Sila out as Mama and Daddy make sail to begin the passage.

On this passage we passed the 30,000 mile mark. There was a small celebration including a Kas(a Spanish lemon soda) and some pastries.

 Jack ties a Turk's Head knot to protect the deck from a pulley that bangs around and hurts the paint. It was certainly an improvement to Sila!

Here Jack shakes a reef for the first time. Shaking a reef, or making the main sail bigger, is a complex process and Jack can now do it by himself.

Late one evening we reached a great palindrome-32323 on the odometer. We missed 32123 when Jack was on watch, an event we still give him grief for.

We did catch a fish, but it was a Crevalle Jack, which is not good eating and it was very small, so we released it.

The best palindrome of the passage was certainly this one.

Even the sunset seems to celebrate our "Land Ho!" It was a beautiful evening in which we even saw the green flash, an amazing occurrence in the tropics where the sun flashes green as it dips below an ocean horizon. All in all, it was a wonderful passage!-Porter