Squalls again last night, big wind, big seas, and fast sailing, but when the cloud cover finally broke the sea became illuminated by an enormous full moon, it hung low in the west lighting the path ahead. Then as the sun rose the moon set, turning golden as it slowly faded into the horizon while the glow of morning was expanding in the east. Then the sun appeared and the stars that remained suddenly vanished, the squalls behind us turned to umber, their rain shafts washing over the orange sun like the wet pigments of a watercolor painting running together.
So here we are, one hundred miles from our destination, riding this wild bullet train to Antigua, we have the bottles of bubbly chilled and standing ready, we are all sleep-deprived, junk-food overdosed, a bit crabby and somewhat stinky. We've been looking at each other in the same shorts and T-shirt for the past three days, we all crave a real bath, clean sheets, and will most certainly want to eat anything but pasta once we arrive.
And yet, on this our final day there is a bit of sadness too, we are a group of people who came together to sail across an ocean, we've lived, and worked together, joked around, enjoyed each others company, shared Christmas and New Years together and once we land most will scatter in different directions. It's the sailor's life, where saying goodbye to friends and loved ones is a regular event, tempered by the knowledge that you will probably be meeting up again sometime on another boat in another ocean.
As I write this it's a rodeo outside, we will be gybing soon as we need to adjust our course before the final gybe takes us into Falmouth Harbour. We are on a hard heel, and surfing crazy big waves, making it difficult to type and hold myself in place here at the navstation. It all sounds so romantic, and it is, but sometimes it seriously sucks too, but honestly, I wouldn't change a thing. Cheers, hugs, last one to the bar buys the first round- we are feeling good!!!
Nope, first beer is on me!! I got 'em cold and waiting for you!! - Art
Ciao tutti regazzi!! Many many thanks so very very much for all of your wonderful delightful comments! I know all of the messages have been greatly appreciated by everyone. Thank you also for reading and following along with the adventures of Feelin' Good and her marvellous crew. There will be one last long-form post from me for the passage I hope you will enjoy. May Art and I wish you all a very happy Day of Epiphany, big hugs! Cheers! Tracy