I’m writing this from the cockpit. It’s 12:12AM (Monday Morning), and I just came off my 1.5-hour watch at the helm. Alejandro, my watch partner, is now at the helm - I serve as backup and support to him. I’m tucked under the dodger, guarded from the wind, but couldn’t be more at peace. The last 90 minutes, hand steering our Swan, was the experience every sailor longs for. The wind was constant at 18-20, still driven by the Trades this far south. The sea state has finally settled into a 3-foot rolling lull, where it has been 5-10 feet the last 24 hours. Bio-luminescence follows in our wake to stern. These phenomena, which I don’t understand, looks like little fireflies trailing in the water. To port and starboard of our stern, the same is true - wherever our boat churns up the water, these hundreds of little sparkles occur. Our girls would love this.
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It’s 2am, and I can’t sleep. I’m lying, or rather, rolling around in my top bunk, while the Atlantic winds howl through our sails outside, and the waves slam into the bow...next to my head. In hindsight, perhaps this room wasn’t my luck. We are headed almost straight north, and all the wind and waves are coming from the East. I’m in the starboard bow (front right), which means the heel (lean) of the boat wants me to fall out of my bunk. I have a “lee” cloth tied up, which is like a blanket tied under the mattress and then fastened to the ceiling above, cocooning me so I can’t roll onto the floor. It’s obviously not creating the peace of mind I need to go to sleep, as I’ve been tossing around in my bunk since 2030 (8:30pm). Great time to reflect on the day.
My day began in a slight fog. The previous night’s adventure left it’s mark. When will I learn?
After checking out, a black coffee and a probiotic yogurt (limited choices in the Caribbean), I was off to the Marina in a taxi. The Simpson Bay Marina sits at the bottom of the hill where my resort perched, so it was a brief drive. The guard at the gate to the dock was staring at her phone when I approached. I wonder what Caribbean version of Candy Crush the islanders prefer. They all seem to be glued to their phone like an American - perhaps global warming isn’t the biggest threat to the species. Living in cyberspace might be. I digress. I am sitting at the Buccaneer Bar in St Maarten, the Dutch Side. I’m not sure yet what importance the nationality has on the north/south division line. The French lie to the north, and as of yet, I’m ignorant to any imminent invasion or court.
I now have an appreciation for the neck pillow. I thought I could purchase one at DIA before my 11:40 flight departed but alas all concessions were closed unless I wanted a quarter pounder with cheese - the less-healthy other “sleep pillow”. I ran out of socially acceptable sleep positions long before we landed at JFK. I finally settled on the high school, sleep on your desk position. |
We're the Zimmerman Family!
Home Base | Denver, CO A family of six that
LOVES to sail ! Follow our crew (Royce, Tara, Avery, Charley, Nora & Ruby) as we blog our sailing adventures Current Trip:
Set Sail 4.22.23 | Las Palmas - Across the Atlantic - Island of Antigua Previous Trips: Set Sail 9.22.21 | Sweden - Germany - United Kingdom Set Sail 7.18.19 | Newport, RI - Martha's Vineyard, MA - Nantucket, MA - & back! Thanks for reading !Previous Trip Posts:
April 2023
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