Our First Passage

Salt Spray. Constant rolling. Searing sun. Dew-soaked clothes at night; nothing remains dry. For anyone who may have been envious of our trip, trust me--it's no picnic. Crossing oceans is wearisome, and at times, frightening. 

The Gulf Stream, a river flowing in the middle of the ocean at up to 5 knots with waves known to reach 70 feet in storms, gave us quite a wild ride. The first three days of our trip was nothing but seasickness, high winds and large waves. As we crossed the Gulf Stream's point of maximum intensity, mountains rose up from the deep, sending avalanches of whitewater careening down their steep faces.

Breaking waves are a boat's worst nightmare, and we were amongst the biggest I had ever seen. During the worst of it, our normal 3 hour shifts were interrupted and I manned the tiller for 15 hours straight as we ran with the waves. At one point we were surfing (not a good thing), hitting speeds of over 15 knots. We hit multiple eddies--currents  swirling and colliding with opposing currents-- creating inconsistent, choppy waves that tossed the boat around. Wave trains of four in a row plowed through us, building steeper and higher each time. Three days either double-reefed (a lessening of the sail area in response to higher winds) or under storm trysail and jib; we were tired.

It is said that a boat can handle far more than its crew, and Makai performed flawlessly.

For every scary moment, there is an equal number of truly amazing ones. We were becalmed on the 4th day. Amanda and I looked out upon a flat, blue mirror. Complete silence and 360 degrees of ocean surrounded us. A brilliant yellow-green Mahi-Mahi swam up to the boat and performed circles to scope us out. Then a pod of dolphins came by to play. Then an odd looking fish we think was a grouper hung out under our hull, occasionally popping out to look at the funny humans.

Not going anywhere? Why not go for a swim? The GPS said it was 17,000 feet deep.

The last six days were beautiful with light winds and calms seas, allowing us to average 3-4 knots. Not fast, but far more comfortable.

At dawn on the tenth day, we entered Bermudan waters. You know those wallpaper photos of the beach scene with bright turquoise water that looks completely photoshopped? THAT'S REALLY HOW IT LOOKS!!!

The island has a rich history dating back to 1609 when shipwrecked sailors first inhabited the island. There are a million forts. The houses are painted bright pastel colors and the roofs are all white. We could easily spend a month exploring Bermuda, but we've got to continue our journey to the Azores before hurricane season picks up.