1151 UTC | 31°48.900’N 023°07.891’W
Sailing
Randomish thoughts as we get closer to port.
Two things I picked up on my way out of home more or less last minute which have been brilliant. A beanie I thought would not be useful as we were due to sail from the Caribbean to the Canaries and I just didn’t think it would be that cold. At times, it was. Plus a beanie is great to shove down the back of your PFD to give a bit of padding against the deck, (also good to sit on). It’s good to shove down your foulie top when it’s not so cold that you need to be fully zipped up, but a bit of wind protection helps. That’s also a handy store for emergency gummie bears. If you are worried about fluff at this stage, take a look at where you are.
The second thing is a pair of rubber soled espadrilles. Way better than any deck shoes I brought with me apart from ocean boots.
Controversially, I think some bananas are good for the first few days of an offshore passage, especially if the weather is boisterous, (or active as the crew calls it). If you take as much of the stem off as you can, it saves spoiling other fruit to some degree and they are full of vitamins and just enough sugar to keep you going. Plus they taste the same way coming up as going down.
Mouthwash is handy as it’s not always possible to clean your teeth when you would like to, and, see point 2 about bananas. My least useful item is the smart watch which is telling me I’m sleep deprived and maybe some soothing sounds, like the sea, would help me drift off to sleep.
Simon, Adrienne II Crew
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Dive on in
Life aboard Adrienne is hot and sticky. It was hilarious how fast we all started moving once we heard we might go for a swim in the ocean. With our captain’s blessing, we started jumping in, hooting and hollering, grinning like children on a carnival ride. It was simple and delightful and also mind-boggling to be bobbing and washing in the great ocean under a clear sky with nothing around but our floating home and each other. But the deeper cleaning of this ocean plunge will certainly linger for days.
Death on the high seas
I’m not going to lie - I really miss my dog. As we’re just now approaching Cap Verde (two thirds of the way) I can’t help but think of all the wonderful things that happen on a trip like this; strangers become friends, terror turns into confidence, and ignorance into knowledge. It’s not for everyone. But if you do decide to cross some of most isolated spaces on the planet in a small boat, you’re definitely in for a mighty interesting ride. And next time I’ll bring my dog with me. 😊
Eleven Snippets from Adrienne
This list of little moments might just shed some light on all the other stuff happening out here as we make this massive journey together. The back aft deck takes on many roles, like a salon (Anton gave Naxo an award winning haircut), a butcher shop (Kif cleaned his first fish), a yoga studio, gym and a dance club (Manot is an excellent DJ - and Captain and Katelyn keeps us moving wither energy and enthusiasm). Culinary magic happens nightly in a tiny galley by three amazing chef - sailors. Big thoughts, life's questions, personal histories, paths taken and talk of family (pets too) are shared. I'm beyond grateful to be a part of this little community in the middle of the Atlantic.