Saturday, February 23, 2013

The equator!

By Nicole

It was Day 6 of our nearly 1,000-mile passage from Panama to the Galapagos. A few days prior, Aaron managed to jury-rig our broken autopilot, so we were once again blissfully sailing hands-free. The sun was shining, the seas were calm and the equator was steadily approaching. It was time to perform the checklist:

Glittery tassel headbands? Check.
Funky Elton John-style sunglasses? Check.
Champagne and cake? Check and check.

Now crossing the equator and graduating from a pollywog to a shellback is no simple feat. You can’t just sail across like it’s no big deal. You’ve got to dress for the occasion and have a party!

GOPR1244
Getting closer … I’m so excited!

GOPR1339Woohoo! We’re shellbacks!

GOPR1342Yep, that’s right. 0°00.000’

 GOPR1383
A little Southern Hemisphere dance party

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What’s a party without Champagne and homemade chocolate cake? We raised a toast to our good buddies Poseidon and Neptune for safe passage in the Southern Hemisphere. They love Champagne.

After 7 days at sea – our longest passage so far – we arrived in the beautiful Galapagos Islands this morning! The check-in process was painless, our friends on Ninita and Orkestern just pulled in and we can’t wait to get to exploring this awesome place (sea lions are everywhere!). Welcome to Ecuador.

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12 comments:

  1. Carol and Lance (sv Syrah)February 23, 2013 at 8:15 PM

    Congratulations Shellbacks!!! You are definitely seasoned cruisers now, as well as "tadpoles" or "pollywogs" no more... but where is the traditional immersion in King Neptune's domain (ie: a SWIM or at least a DUNKING!!!)

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  2. Princess AboardFebruary 23, 2013 at 10:03 PM

    The glittery tassel headbands are by far my favorite!

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  3. N8KraftFebruary 23, 2013 at 10:52 PM

    Congrats on acceptance in to Neptunus Rex's domain! How did you get rid of all that dirty pollywog slime without a dip in the sea?

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  4. J.P.February 24, 2013 at 9:06 AM

    JP just said, "Hey, you're not supposed to have fun without us!!!" Congratulations! Onward and upward!!

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  5. DeborahFebruary 24, 2013 at 12:53 PM

    That is just simply awesome. Woohoo!!!! Congrats, you two!

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  6. ~bFebruary 24, 2013 at 4:29 PM

    Congratulations guys! Love the festive outfits commemorating your crossing...and you got it right, from what I've heard, Champagne is a must when crossing the equator. The picture of Nicole "all excited" is hilarious! Can't wait to post our photos of Osprey crossing the equator...only about a month to go! See you soon.

    ~b & r
    sv Osprey

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  7. Capt. DennyFebruary 25, 2013 at 2:53 PM

    Great Job Guys, Love the pictures! I will never again think of you in any other way.

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  8. Ken and SusanFebruary 25, 2013 at 6:46 PM

    Can't believe you actually baked a cake at the equator! ;)
    Susan

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  9. Katrina W.February 25, 2013 at 9:39 PM

    I love you guys. You seriously know how to have a good time!

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  10. Mid-Life Cruising!February 26, 2013 at 11:24 AM

    Congratulations on making it to the Galapagos ... how awesome! Champagne, chocolate cake and funky outfits ... looks like ya'll know how to celebrate! A seven day passage .. we've yet to make our first night sail .. LOL! Enjoying your blog and can't wait till our house sells so we can finally start our own adventure ... going crazy! =)

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  11. dawnrodneyMarch 2, 2013 at 5:17 PM

    So proud of you guys!! That is a feat very few can claim. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. :-)

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  12. s/v UnleashedMarch 19, 2013 at 11:53 AM

    Congratulation!! Hope to meet you someday.

    Paul & Carol

    s/v Unleashed

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