Happy
New Year!
N16 81 31 W 084 41
02 Honduran flag flying
We are out in the middle, well, no, not the middle of the Caribbean making progress toward Roatan at about 6 knots. We left San Andres on the 29th after Jerry talked to Herb, the weatherguy, all the nets, consulted the oracles, the entrails of a smoked hen, and the weatherfax. We made great time through the squalls the first day, and never saw even 1 albatross. Grace was so happy to be out on the ocean blue after Jerry had scratched her prop and her back that she just "sailed" through the water.
The 30th was even better with many squalls showing up on the radar, but the winds so fast that they made it to where we were going to be before we got there. We had unbelievable nights with a full moon. The clouds moved so fast that when I lay on the deck to watch the moon, the effect was disorientingly startling because the moon and stars appeared to be moving. Along with the swaying of the mast and the sails, I decided that was a good way to get a surge of the seasick blues.
Last night the moon was covered by a huge, black cloud with which it did battle until finally the ocean turned half light-half dark. The moon won! and gave Grace the ocean a mantle of diamonds designed especially for her New Year celebration. Taking my turn at watch on the deck all alone about 50 miles from land with instructions to keep an eye out for the coral reefs (we had been sailing in 60-90 ft. of water all day) to keep an eye on the wind speed and direction, to keep an eye on our heading because we needed to make a 90 degree turn at the next waypoint, Grace and I felt very small, so I was glad that my protector is very big.
We shall reach Roatan about 10:30 tomorrow, New Year's Day. I have the champagne cooling, and our friends will have the turkey in the oven. We are thinking of all of you, and wishing you the very best 2002 yet.
- December 31, 2001