Hey-o!

We just got into Guanaja, the Bay Islands, Honduras. Yep. We did it!

And, it was awesome (much to my surprise and delight). This passage was actually really transformative for me as a live-aboard-scaredy-cat-cruiser. It may have even turned me into a sailor.

It was the first time I feel I really listened to Mother Jones and how she likes to be sailed (I can’t really explain this, it’s one of those things that just “is”).

And, given it was our longest passage, it was the first time I really settled into the “we’ll get there when we get there” vibe of sailing rather than my usual type-A “it’ll be exactly X until we arrive”.Turns out, sometimes forcing something to be something other than it is, isn’t the easiest, best or most comfortable way to do that thing – *sometimes*, or really, probably most times.(Dad -you were all up in my head: “shall we do this the easy way or the hard way” 😉

As usual, several factors came together to give us a nice passage including: great weather (no squalls, good winds, small seas), good food (things made ahead, fresh fish off the line and lots of chocolate), great company (love having that 3rd man on watch!), and, of course, NOTHING broke – wahoo!

This passage was so great, in fact, that I think it was kind of a trick: like your beautiful child, sleeping, making you think labor is “no big deal”. Like one of those passages sailors remember when they think about quitting because it’s too expensive, there’s too much work and the weather is terrible. Yep, a trick. A trick I’ll welcome again anytime 🙂

But, enough of me waxing poetic about “my feelings”. Here’s my Type-A report of our passage, by the numbers:

• Nautical miles: 650
• Hours on the sea: 135
• Fish caught : 2 (one king mackerel, one blue fin tuna)

Blue fin tuna

King mackerel

• Fish that got away: 2 (we think they were tarpon because of their leaping and tail shape)
• Wildlife spotted: 1 dolphin, 1 tern
• Ships in the night: 1 powerboat, 1 unknown night-time vessel, 3 fishing boats with hipster moustaches (aka their nets)
• Most sleep in a ro for Skipperette: 3 hours
• National waters sailed: 5 countries (Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Columbia [San Andres & Providencia], Honduras)
• Movies watched: 4 (I do not recommend PS I love you)

how the non-movie-watching crew members passed their time (I get seasick reading)

• Shirt worn : 1 (ewwww)
• Spot batteries used: 6 (um, figure this out Spot)
• Top speed under sail: 8 knots
• Lowest speed: 1 knot (our tell-tales and flag were droop-y)
• New knots mastered: 2
• Guitar chords learned: 3
• Terrible songs stuck in my head: countless

And, for the super-cheesy Mastercard moment you may have guessed was coming . . .

• Reaching Guanaja at daybreak after an amazing passage: one, priceless morning

Sunrise over Guanaja

Guanaja fishing harbor at the base of pine-covered hills (I know right, pine?)

ps. I especially want to thank my sister Beth and our friend Marco, for being great friends and support. As we were about to shove off, the internet went down and they patiently relayed to us over the phone our entire, detailed custom weather report from Chris Parker AND then filed our sailplan with our emergency contact. Y’all rock!