By Nicole
You can never cross the ocean
Unless you have the courage
To lose sight of the shore.
-Christopher Columbus
We are poised at the edge of the Galapagos Islands, ready to take that giant step into the vast Pacific Ocean. It means losing sight of the shore for an entire month, give or take, as we sail 3,000 miles to the Marquesas, French Polynesia. The moments – exhilarating, terrifying, boring – that lie ahead are unknown, but we have the courage to weigh anchor, sail out of the safe harbor and live the adventures as they come.
We’ll post HF radio updates to the blog when we can, so stay tuned! But remember that communications on the high seas can be fluky, so just because you haven’t heard from us in awhile doesn’t mean that anything bad has happened. You can also track our progress on the “Where are we now?” section of our blog. After following the link, click on the icon to see our last posted position and a short message. We’re traveling (very loosely) with a flotilla of other boats – three are heading back to Australia to complete circumnavigations! – so we won’t be all alone on the big blue sea.
We’ve travelled over 7,000 nautical miles so far, with another ~3,000 to go to French Polynesia:
Seattle, WA USA (Departed 4/11) > Canada (8/11) > West Coast US (10/11) > Mexico (3/12) > El Salvador (5/12) > Costa Rica (11/13) > Panama (2/13) > Ecuador (3/13) > French Polynesia (Arrival 4/13?)
As Tom Petty said, “Into the great wide open ...” Although I don’t think this is exactly what he had in mind. :)
Good luck guys! Not sure if I've ever commented on here but I've been following you from nearly the beginning. Can't wait to hear details of the passage, as I hope to do it in the next few years.
ReplyDeleteFair winds and following seas!
-Erick
thequestforwindandwaves.com
Tom Petty also said "Got to move on, got to get going, what lies ahead I have no way of knowing. But under my feet baby, grass is growing. Got to move on, got to get going". Good luck and fair winds my friends
ReplyDeleteTawn s/v Palarran...soon to conquer our first island!!!
Fair winds and following seas from s/v Brigadoon.
ReplyDeleteBe safe guys, I'll be thinking of you.
ReplyDeleteOkay guys this is where I get more gray hair if that is possible. Hope Spot is working. I wish you fair winds and following seas!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI want pictures, lots of them
Have fun and be carefull.
I think I know how my parents felt when I packed my bag and left for what turned into 20+ year in the Air Force.
You are out of sight but never never out of mind and prayers
Love you guys
Dad
Fair winds guys, have a great crossing!
ReplyDeleteFair winds on the next leg of your journey. I am living vicariously through you until I can get back on the water.
ReplyDeleteLezlie
Bon vent et une mer calme! Nous partons en une semaine (plus ou moins un jour ou deux, en fonction de la météo). Ne peut pas attendre de vous voir et de jeter l'ancre Osprey à côté de Bella Star. Cela va être passionnant! Un mois devrait y avoir beaucoup de temps pour apprendre le français! HA!
ReplyDelete~b
Fair winds, guys! I get more jealous with each post, but am so happy for you that you are having this adventure.
ReplyDeleteKatie
Have a wonderful sail! Go conquer more islands. Been loving your blog for a long time. I have the lego man, just not attached to the masthead yet. And say hi to Erlin when you get there.
ReplyDeleteandy, Twisted Journey
Enjoy your crossing!
ReplyDeleteFair winds! Sending lots of good juju out your direction. :-)
ReplyDeleteHey,good luck.I have little bit for you.Running could be an extremely relaxing point of sail. There is practically nothing, if any, heeling force on the boat meaning that the boat is rather upright while sailing. There is additionally no wind blowing over the boat since the wind will be coming from specifically behind the boat.often alluded to as the 'Don't Go Zone', running could be an extremely perilous point of sail. Since the stern of the boat is as of now "in the eye" of the wind, any sudden wind changes or errors while steering could result in the boat to unintentionally agree causing the boom to swing perilously over the boat to the other side. Because of this, it is regularly encouraged to beginner mariners to cruise 10 degrees off of a genuine run until they gain enough experience to have the capacity to safely handle it.
ReplyDelete~Allen.