GEAR

A couple years ago, I traveled to Caye Caulker off the coast of Belize. During my stay, I went snorkeling for the first time. It was so much fun. Last year I returned to Caye Caulker with my brother in tow. We went snorkeling, and again, I had fun.

When I lived near Galveston Bay, snorkeling was out of the question. In those waters, you might be able to see two inches in front of you. Now that I live next to clear water, I wanted snorkel gear. Armed with my debit card and computer, I went hunting. My box came today, with all I need to spend hours with my face in the water.



















My past snorkeling trips, I had a problem with my mask fogging up on me. Not cool. So when the 'defog' was suggested as an additional purchase, I did. I'll let you know if it really works.

I admit, I really didn't know what is good and what is bad, as far as gear for the sport... is it really a 'sport', or just an 'activity'. Whatever it is, it's fun. And, of course, I needed a pack for everything. Okay, maybe I over did it, but after all... I'm an islander now. I just need a kayak to complete my ensemble.

JEWELRY

I stopped in a little shop, and looking at the necklaces, I found one with a Mako tooth. I had to have it. It will remind me of my fellow Gulf-crossing crewmate, Mako. I miss his quick wit and great imagination. Follow your dreams Mako!




Jewelry has, in the past, mostly sit in my jewelry box. I had a couple of necklaces that I wore regularly, but most rings just got in my way. My wedding band was all scratched up because I never took it off, and the tools were hard on it. I had a collection of wedding rings, and since I would never wear them again, I sold them. No, I didn't get much for them, but at least they were out of my sight. I would rather have the money than have them just sit in a box.

I have worn a toe ring, a simple gold band, for years. The copper thumb ring I wear, doesn't come off now. When I am tired of it, it will have to be cut off. I did discover that it stayed very bright and shiny while I lived on the boat. Salty water shines it up really pretty.

The pieces that survived my purging, are sitting safely in a box, in my brother's storage building. I will send for the boxes when I settle into the place I will call home. I have forgotten what all I put in those boxes. It will be like Christmas all over again, how fun!

PAUSE

I am staying at my daughter's house until I figure out exactly what I want to do. I want to stay close to the grandkids for a while, and there is another one on the way now. It's just that I was mentally prepared to live aboard s/v Kairos and visit islands, and experience new things. Suddenly, I find myself standing on the dock with all my stuff in a dock cart. Some days I felt a little lost, no friends, no place to go and feel 'at home'. My life is on 'pause'.

The last few days, I have made some calls, sent emails, and filled out a couple applications for work. Not sure if I wanted to work in the canvas business again, I waited until this morning to make the call to the two shops I found online. The first shop told me that they had no openings, and the second shop... I dialed the number and got a recording telling me that the call couldn't be completed. What? I tried it again, making sure that I dialed the right number, yep, same recording. This afternoon, I got a call, and an email, from the first canvas shop, wanting to talk to me. It turned out that the shop did need someone.

I saw a new friend today, and he is going to the Marquesas Keys this weekend. It's like I hear two voices: "fun, free-spirited" voice telling me, "go, have fun, enjoy, it would be awesome!" The other voice is telling me, "Lezlie, you have to get a job, find a place to stay, remember what happened the last time?" I don't like the latter voice. What I really want to do, is continue my journey, but with a more compatible captain. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

CHICKENS

It is common knowledge that there are chickens everywhere in Key West, at least it was for everyone but me. The Gypsy chickens, as they are called by locals, are everywhere. They roam the streets, parking lots, yards and parks. You can find paintings, statues, postcards, jewelry, and sculptures of ... chickens. Some residents embrace the almost-pet chicken residents, while others would rather them disappear, but they are protected by law.

In the late 1860's, Key West's Cuban population began to grow, and by 1890, they comprised over half the population. They brought their love of cockfighting, and their chickens with them. This variety was bred for size and aggressiveness, and was named Cubalaya. Cockfighting was a popular business, but in the 1970's, here in Key West, it was outlawed and put many Cubalaya out of business and on the street. About that time, many domestic hens were put out on the streets when their owner moved away and released the hens to roam the streets. Boy meets girl, and you know the rest.

If the population of Gypsy chickens has not decreased, there has to be baby chicks, but I have yet to see one. I have seen pictures of these mystery baby chicks, and heard they roam the streets trailing behind their mothers, but I have not witnessed this myself. Are they hiding from me?  This is my quest: to find the babies.







UPDATE:
A little chick was spotted peeking out from under it's mother's wing, as I took my walk today. When she stood up, 5 little chicks came scurrying out from the safety of her wings. FINALLY, I see the little chicks.

TARDIS MOVES TO ARIZONA

Yep, TARDIS  has a new owner. She has moved to Arizona. It was hard to let her go, however, I had lost my vision for her. Originally, I began building her so my husband and I could take her sailing. We began the dream together, and for over a year, that was the vision. After the separation, she was a reminder of a dead dream. I worked on her, but it just wasn't the same. I had to revise my dream; for me to sail her alone, but I lost my motivation.

After I moved to Kemah, I had to keep TARDIS parked at the canvas shop, and it was not as convenient to work on her. I would put off the work, even though she was almost finished. I was asked so many times when I would splash her. I didn't have an answer.

TARDIS was the last thread of my old life, and now it has been snipped. It is sad, but it is also the beginning of a fresh start. No more reminders of my old life, everything new. I don't regret the build, it was a good thing. I learned a lot, and made a lot of friends in the boat building community. I do wish I had been able to sail her... at least once. Maybe someday.

Last year, I had a fleet, now I don't own even one boat. I'm sure that will change at some point. I think I will start out with a kayak. I can make a dolly for it to pull behind my bike. Where there's a will, there's a way! My daughter and I are going to get snorkel gear in the next few days. There are so many fun things to do here in Key West, I will stay busy, and it will most likely involve water.

MY NEW RIDE

I have decided to reside in Key West, Florida. It is a small island, so, I think all I need to get around, is a bicycle. It's cheap transportation; initial cost is $150, needs no gas or insurance. And, my legs will look fabulous by the end of the summer! It's a win-win situation.

My son-in-law knows a guy at a bike shop here, so we drove there today to see about getting me some wheels. I am used to riding a road bike, but that just doesn't seem practical for the island. He showed me a couple bikes that were almost new, but they just didn't feel right. When asked, "how much do you want to spend?" my reply was, "cheap". He then took me to the back of the shop to show me a mountain bike. He said, "I can let you have this one for $150 because I just about stole it."


I wasn't sure about it, so I was told that I could rent it for a week, and if I like it, they would apply the rental cost to the purchase price. That sounded like a good deal, so I paid the rental fee and the bike was brought around to the front. We drove there in a Wrangler. Not sure how to get it home, the guy said he would deliver it. SWEET!

After I sold my Grand Cherokee and turned in my shop keys, I had no keys to keep up with. It is the strangest feeling to not have any keys. But, I have one now; the lock for my bike.


The weather is awesome here. In the daily newspaper, there is a 5-day forecast. I read them, and got a chuckle.

Tonight: Mainly clear; dark from a new moon
Monday: Mostly sunny and quite pleasant
Tuesday: Mostly sunny and magnificent
Wednesday: A thunderstorm not out of the question
Thursday: Question of stormy thunder looms

KEY WEST - Part 3

Remember the story or Jonah and the whale? God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach the gospel. Jonah didn't want to go, it's a horrible place and he didn't like the people. Instead, he jumped on a ship and headed off to do his own thing. God has this way of getting ones attention, so while Jonah was on the sea, a huge storm came and battered the little ship around. Everyone aboard thought they were going to die. After casting lots, Jonah spoke up and said that he was the cause of the storm, and if they threw him overboard, the storm would stop. You probably know the rest: Jonah was thrown overboard, the storm quieted, a whale came along and delivered Jonah to Nineveh. God knows how to get things done.

Six months ago, my daughter and her family moved to Key West. For a couple months, every text I received from Amy was about how wonderful Key West is, and I would love it there. I laughed and thought it was cute, but I didn't want to leave Kemah, TX. When I visited Key West in December, Amy tried everything she knew to get me to stay. Her husband, Bill, remarked many times to Amy, "She's not going to leave." Well, I did hop on that plane and go back to Kemah.

God knows me, so he dangled the opportunity to go sailing in front of me, and I took the bait. Sold, gave away, or threw away nearly everything I owned so I could go cruising. Those endless nights with crippled rigging and 12 and 15 foot waves, compounded by the abrasive personality of the Captain… there were times, I wondered if I would make it to Key West in a boat bigger than the life raft on our deck. I questioned my continuing this journey past Key West. Notice, I say 'question'. After another couple weeks of abrasive dialogue from Captain, I lost all respect for the man, and I decided there is no way I can continue as crew on his vessel. The stress I feel cancels out any enjoyment I would have in the Caribbean Islands. Key West is a nice place… I think I'll stay. My son-in-law's prediction came true, "She's not going to leave." He loves me! :)

I don't regret crossing the Gulf of Mexico on s/v Kairos, although, it would have been better if the boat and captain had been better prepared. And now, I have another sea story. The nights, when not stormy, were beautiful. And the water was gorgeous, that's my new favorite color.

The grandkids have been fun. Rocket is growing up so fast, and Aiden is still quite the character. I am shopping for a bike, no need for anything more at this time. The island is not that big, and the parking is limited here. I need the exercise anyway. But when I do get another vehicle, it will be a Wrangler. Now for an income, I'll find something.

KEY WEST - Part 2

Day 21. Morale is low, so the Captain suggests we go ashore and grab a beer. First, we hit Schooner's Wharf Bar. We order a bucket of Landshark, which contains 5 bottles. I will take one and let the guys divide the rest, I'm a light weight. While we are just about finished with our beer, and have already decided to leave and go bar hopping, our server comes out with another bucket. We can't turn it down, so we take care of that bucket too. I'm feeling a buzz, the guys are feeling good by now. When the Captain drinks, he gets philosophical, so now he is giving advice to Mako on all of life's issues. Food is in order now, so we head down the street and find Sloppy Joe's Bar. Their burger and fries are awesome… and we have another beer. Our plan was to get a few provisions… bread and … beer, but it is getting a little dark by this time, the winds have picked up, we head back to the dinghy. It is a good distance back to the boat, we have a good buzz going by this time, and then we get out past the marina. The waves are 1 to 2 feet, and our dinghy is a 10 foot inflatable. If we go slow we get sprayed, if we go fast we get sprayed even more. At first we can't quit laughing (the beer buzz is still with us), but by the time we make it back to Kairos, the beer buzz has worn off, we are soaked, cold and sitting in 3 inches of water. We will go in tomorrow for food and … more beer! Captain's orders.

Day 22. Yeah, I am counting the days we haul anchor and make our way to the boatyard in Marathon for repairs. We have been anchored, and waiting for eleven days now. We have seen all types a weather, from very sunny, warm and calm… to cold gales, rain and white-capping waves. At the boatyard, there will be hot showers and shore power. However, I will not be using these amenities, because I will abandon ship and stay with my daughter and her crew. Not sure if I can sleep in a bed that doesn't move, but I'll tough it out.

Day 23. We have had two anchors out and have not moved an inch. Other boats around us drug, but we stood fast. Today, we pulled the second anchor, but discovered our rode had wound around a big old anchor. It looks like something from the 1800s. Really cool, except our rode is tangled up and it has to be cut away… not cool. Through more of our Three Stooges acts, we managed to lose our anchor… plus the line that had been tied to the anchor rode… and not cleated.  This wasn't the first time that the anchor rode had not been cleated, but this time, it was lost. Our anchor is now in the company of the grandfather of all anchors. 

Day 24. In the darkness, I hear a quiet, "Lezlie, it's 5:30, time to get up." I push back my little quilt, slide out of bed, and already start to dread the getting underway. I have seen a pattern for the past three weeks; when the boat moves, the tension builds. When it is light enough to see, we pull the anchor, me at the helm, Mako and Captain at the bow. I am still at the helm and take us down the channel to start the trip to Marathon. The wind and wave predictions were not bad, 15 to 20 knot winds, and the waves 1 to 2 feet. They lied. The wind speeds were correct, but the waves were building the farther down the channel we went. As we reached the last red buoy, the waves were 4 to 5 feet and very close. About that time, our engine starts to bog down and we slow to 1.6 knots. Not a good thing, we still have over 50 miles to travel, and we don't want to hoist the sails and stress the crippled rigging. So, Captain orders us to turn back. I sigh, knowing that it will be another day or two before I get off the boat. Going with the wind and waves, we do 7 knots most of the way back to our anchorage. Anchored, the Captain issues orders for showers and go ashore for breakfast. Do we smell that bad? I had a shower 4 days ago! We miss the breakfast menu by 10 minutes, and the lady at Pepe's will not serve us breakfast. Lunch it is then. My patty melt and fries were very tasty and it hit the spot. Back to the boat and a two hour nap. I guess I was tired. 

Day 25. We are running out of water. We must take the boat to the fuel dock and fill the tanks. I dread it, something always goes wrong. Sure enough, even though I had already gotten the fenders in place and un-coiled the dock lines, we were told, "get your heads out of your asses." That was the last straw, I was done. I had lost all respect for Captain, so it was time for me to leave. I pulled my stuff together and disembarked there at the marina dock. My new address is Key West, Florida.

KEY WEST - Part 1

We left the Dry Tortugas at 7 pm and motored all night to get to Key West by dawn. We reached Key West Bight Marina and docked for fuel and water, and a short walk to get a gas can for the dinghy. There is an anchorage just out from the marina, so we go find ourselves a spot amongst the other boats. Everyone is still tired from our crossing the Gulf of Mexico, so by 6 pm, we are all asleep. Fourteen hours later, we manage to wake. We needed that sleep.

The contractors were lined up for our repairs to Kairos, but they couldn't start work on her for a couple of weeks, so we anchored out in Key West. I have done a lot of reading, writing, playing cards, and cook occasionally. Our batteries on Kairos are bad, they don't hold a charge, and won't take a charge from the wind generator, so we can't keep our electronics charged. My phone is kept turned off most of the time, to save what little battery I do have. This is one of the things to be fixed while she is dry docked. It will be good to be 'connected' again.

My favorite son-in-law, Bill, is a manager at Fogarty's on Duval Street. Our first outing, we just happen to stumble onto it, so we stop and have a much needed meal that we didn't cook. French Fries, oh how I've missed you! My daughter, Amy, grabs the kids and comes up to see us. Aiden, my four year old grandson, entertained Captain and helped me eat my french fries. 

Getting low on previsions, Mako and I visit a little grocery close to the marina where we dock the dinghy. On our daily trips ashore, we do the touristy things; have our picture taken at the southernmost point of the USA, visit Fort Taylor, have a slice of Key Lime Pie, and of course, sit and drink beer while watching the parade of tourist walk down Duval Street.

Our trip ashore to do laundry.

Mako has been a lot of fun on this trip. He comes up with funny log entries:

 Day 18. We no longer count the days in hours, we count them in beers. It's beer o'clock.

Day 19. Radio Officers Log: The Captain is drunk again. He stumbled onboard after a foray onto shore cursing that he 'wanted a red light, not a red light' and ordered us to consume nothing but chips and beer for the remainder of the day. I am generally not adverse to this, but this is the fourth day in a row he's issued these orders.

Day 20. The Capt'n is drunk again and shouting obscenities to the passing boats.

Cribbage is our card game. Captain taught me to play back in Kemah. I was not catching onto the game very fast, so I downloaded an app on my phone and practiced. During our trip, we have played three times now, and I'm keeping track of the winnings… Bill 0, Mako 0, Lezlie 3. Okay, yeah, I'm bragging. I'm sure my winning streak will end soon.

One day, we had strong winds from the south and an ebb tide flowing in the opposite direction. I noticed that the sailboats, catamarans, and power boats all reacted differently under these conditions. There were several 'almost' collisions between the three different designs.  The catamarans were swinging in all directions, and dragging their anchors. The power boats were facing their anchors and oncoming tide, while the sailboats had their anchors aft their sterns and facing the oncoming tide. Since the boats were not all in sync, it made for quite a circus. Luckily, the catamaran that was dragging toward us, had people onboard and we got their attention before they got too close. I spent nearly the whole day in the cockpit, being the lookout. The cockpit, my favorite place to be.

FORT JEFFERSON / DRY TORTUGAS

Jan. 18-21, 2013

Sunset at Fort Jefferson.

We arrived at Fort Jefferson, in Dry Tortugas, late Friday afternoon. We anchored, and then crashed. We were exhausted.

s/v Kairos in the background

Saturday was a rest day for us. The two days previous were endless, with little sleep. So, we took a whole day just to catch up. We had to call the park ranger to bring the paperwork to us, as our dinghy was out of commission that day. He was very nice. We told him our story of the storm, and he told us about three 21 year old guys that had sailed from Key West, trying to make their way to Fort Jefferson. They got caught in a storm and ended up in Cuba three days later. We totally understand how that can happen.

Sunday, was fun day. We were anchored directly in front of the fort. We aired up the dinghy, got our oar, and made our way to the fort. From our anchorage, we couldn't see that the fort has a moat, and what's a moat without a crocodile! 

A big boat called Yankee Freedom , brings visitors for a day of swimming, snorkeling and walking through the fort. We discovered that anyone can use the facilities aboard, including buying lunch.  We had run out of snacks, and sandwich makings and sodas, so we took advantage of this. We ate a big sandwich and took chips for a snack the next day. As we were leaving, the guy working the kitchen told us to take a couple of sodas for later. 

By Sunday afternoon, the sun had come out and it felt like the Florida weather I had been waiting for. I put on my swimsuit and got a little sun on the deck. I need to work on my tan. 

Monday was a work day. Get the boat cleaned, everything stowed in it's proper place, and a few repairs needed to be done. The stern light kept going on and off the last couple of night of our sail here. One of the cables connected to the spreader had popped loose and had rapped around the mast, making it impossible to pull the main all the way up. We worked hard and fast, because we wanted to pull away and head for Key West, Florida before the sun went down. We thought it best to get to Key West early Tuesday, because there was many things that needed to be done once we got there. We need to find a place to have repairs done, like fixing the rigging and repairing the wood in the cabin below. Not sure exactly what broke, so we don't know exactly what these repairs will entail. I'm thinking Kairos will need to be hauled out. We will see.

At 7 pm, we pulled anchor and said good bye to the Dry Tortugas. The night was bright, the moon was out and had a huge halo. I hope this is a good thing. I do recommend stopping at the Dry Tortugas if you have the chance.

KEMAH to DRY TORTUGAS - Part 2

Wednesday afternoon (day 6) had been so beautiful, but it turned ugly real quick. The wind picked up and clocked around from the north and the seas swelled to 6 to 8 foot waves. Our rigging was loose, it was dark, we had to think fast. We were south of Louisiana, so we really didn't have a safe harbor close. We believed in s/v Kairos, so we forged on. We tried to furl the staysail, but the sheets were whipping around so violently, they were quickly tangled. Bill and Mako went forward while I stayed at the helm. It was dark, the wind was screaming, the boat was bouncing, and the spray was flying. All I could think was, 'please don't go overboard.' I finally saw Mako making his way back to the cockpit, and all I heard was, "overboard". My heart sank. No, Bill did not go overboard, Mako fell and said, "Better hurt than overboard." Boy, was I relieved to see them both back in the cockpit. For the next two days, we ran with the wind. We surfed, rocked and rolled with confused waves hitting us, BOOM, sometimes heeling to 40 degrees. This was not good for our crippled rigging. We were reefed on a port tack, winds gusting to 35 knots and the waves were hitting us from behind, reaching 12 to 15 feet. When a wave rolled under us at too much of an angle, we surfed down and the gunwale would hit the water. Mako said he saw us heel to 55 degrees at times. The fish started flying in. We tired quickly. Our shifts were long and hard. Sleep was just a short nap, then back in the cockpit.

By Thursday night, all three of us were exhausted. We started to hallucinate. I was wet and the wind was cold, and the spray hit us in the cockpit. I saw all kinds of things. Yes, and those sirens that you've heard stories about… they are out there too. Trust me, I saw them. The nights had been so dark, we couldn't see to steer, we just tried to be at a good angle when the waves hit our stern, so the stress on the rigging would be lessened. Oh yeah, remember, the rigging is still trying to come through the deck. At one point, Bill tells us we might have to get our passports out and he might have to make a call to Hilary, because we are heading for Cuba. We are off course, heading more south, but that's all we can do at this point. When the sun came up, it was the same relief that you get from sitting up all night with a very sick baby. It's just not as scary in the daylight. 

The winds and waves had calmed a little. Our course on the chart plotter looked like we were heading for Cuba, not exactly where we wanted to go. We started the engine and turned upwind. We were close hauled on a port tack. We could make Dry Tortugas before dark. Just about the time we are beginning to relax, there is a loud clang right behind Mako. The fitting on a broken cable support, came off and slammed into the edge of the cockpit, missing Mako's head by inches. It could have been fatal. Two gouges were taken out of the gel coat. 

Photo by Mako Crosby

I spotted the light house at the Dry Tortugas… but forgot to say "Land Ho". Oh well, next time. Our digital charts told us that we could anchor in a channel by Fort Jefferson that was not used anymore, because it was shoaling. We got there, but the channel is now a sandy beach. We turned around and went to the other side of Fort Jefferson, and there we anchored with about seven other boats. Our first attempt with a plow anchor was not successful, we drug. A danforth anchor was pulled from the lazaret and deployed also. We held through the night.

After we anchored, we all took much needed HOT showers. It was good to wash off the layer of salt. We hadn't eaten much in the last two days, so our meal of chips, salsa and chicken flavored rice was delicious! After we ate, we relaxed, laughed and had a couple of beers. It was a good feeling to be just bobbing in the water. We all slept well.

799 nautical miles in 8 days. 

KEMAH to DRY TORTUGAS - PART 1

I've been to Florida three times now, and traveled a different mode every time. The first time was by car, the second by plane. This time was by sailboat. This journey was long and arduous (new word in my vocabulary), but it was a lot more fun and rewarding.

Friday, January 11, 2013, we left Waterford Harbor Marina in Kemah, TX, with "Southern Cross" playing loudly, as is the tradition of s/v Kairos.  As we pulled away from the dock, I got a little teary-eyed and a lump in my throat. This was my home for a while, and I was leaving it and my friends behind, maybe to never see them again. 

On this leg of our journey, several phrases have come to mind:

*  Be Bold and Courageous.

*  The difference between an adventure and an ordeal, is attitude.

*  "If it's going to happen, it's going to happen out there"  ~ Captain Ron

*  The calm before the storm.

Our first day was easy. We motored to Galveston and out to the jetties in about 3 hours, the tide was with us. There is a ship anchorage just outside the jetties. Instead of going through it, we went around it to the north. As the sun went down, the fog rolled in. We couldn't see, but we had radar to help us navigate through the oil platforms. We started our shifts at 8 pm. This was my shift, 8 - 12. 

On our second night, the sky was clear, and I've never seen so many stars, and they were SO BRIGHT!  It was beautiful. Another first, was seeing the lights in the disturbed water our bow makes. They reminded me of the lightening bugs I caught as a child.

Day 3

Running close-hauled on a starboard tack, we are still going through oil rigs. The line holding the bow of the dinghy broke.  We lost one of our oars, the seat, and the gas can that held the gas.  A little later in the day, we noticed that the port side standing rigging was loose. Upon inspection below, we hear a creaking and see water running down the wall on the starboard side at the bulkhead where the starboard chainplate is connected. When the inspection plate was taken off, we could see the chainplate moving up and down approximately 1/2 inch. Scary!

Capt. Bill was able to get a phone signal using one of the oil platforms, and call his son-in-law. There was no answer, so he left a message. His first words were, "DON'T CALL THE COAST GUARD". Then Bill explained our situation, and told him that we are not in distress, but if the rigging doesn't hold… Bill's children will receive a message via our Spot and then the Coast Guard should be called. A few minutes later, the son-in-law calls back… and yes, he called the Coast Guard.  But, he played Bill's message for them, and they understood the situation, had our location, our course, and it was good that they knew, just in case we did need them.

The cracking noise of the cabin seams coming apart, and the rattling of the loose port rigging was un-nerving! As time went by, the rigging kept getting worse. The deck was bulging slightly and beginning to crack. Capt. Bill put on his MacGyver hat; pulled out blocks, shackles and line, and went to work.  He tightened the starboard running rigging and secured both starboard rigging lines to a cleat. It is holding.

The first couple of days, we had 2-3 and 4-6 foot seas. That was Mako's initiation to sailing life. Mako had never been sailing before. He had "on-the-job training".  When I asked him if this is what he expected, he replied, "I thought it would be smoother." The first few afternoon, winds were about 12 knots and calm seas.  A very nice ride, and the rigging was still holding.

For those of you who have not sailed, a sailboat does not stand up straight while she is sailing. She will be heeled over (leaning). Most of our time was heeled at 15 to 20 degrees, sometimes 25. When you are down below, everyday tasks are more difficult. You learn to do some things with one or both feet on the wall, such as; sleeping, showering, and sitting on the toilet. It makes life interesting.

Tuesday afternoon, just before sundown, I saw a splash far away. The seas were calm, so this was unusual. I watched, and saw many dolphins skipping across the water toward us. They were all small, most no more than three feet. They swam with us for about 15 minutes. The water was clear, so we could see them very clearly. It was one of those moments that you think, "this is what it's all about". These are some of the things that make me smile.

Wednesday afternoon.  It was a beautiful day. The winds that afternoon had died down, and we were only doing about 3 knots. We turned on the stereo, sat in the cockpit and told stories. We watched the flying fish and enjoyed the dolphins that came to say hello. Then, the wind filled our sails again and we started to travel faster, then faster… they clocked around from the north… and then it hit…

Tune in next time to hear what happened next.