SO Day 1 of our Very First Ocean Passage – LBK to Isla Mujeres
Friday
Suggested we leave house at 7am since we still have some prep to do.
Left at 7:45 (I was ready)
Pick up Captain Bill between 8 and 9am from airport / hoping for 9am since we have lots to do
He arrived at 8:15am
SO this is how it’s going to be !
Agreed weeks ago that LISA does not want to sail at night – so day shift watch and galley woman- alright then – all set!
NOPE. Lisa has 8-midnight shift on watch / nervous anxiety sets in.
When it gets dark:
Lots of “Light” activity on the horizon.
Is that a white light coming at me or leaving?
Is that a red light w/ white light? Can’t tell.
Is that a green light w/ white light? Can’t tell
Help is asleep and after all – it’s pitch black outside.
Around 11:30 PM it got dicey – BIG WHITE LIGHTS – what’s it doing / which way is it going?
Shift 10 degrees to right (aka Starboard) – use the right lingo Lisa
Still getting uncomfortably close –
So should I awaken Asleep # 1 or Asleep #2? I chose Asleep #1 (captatin Bill) since he is on watch at midnight to 4am. It WAS a close encounter – good thing to awake Asleep #1.
I was also sure to stand up and look around every 5 minutes in the dark which equated to 60 times over my 4 hour watch.
NOW BACK TO Day time for Day 1.
Captain Kirk feeling a bit whoozie – or should we dare say “sea sick”
He’s got that $100 watch looking thing that won’t let him throw up – but did he?
NO – so far not yet.
Well now his whoozie – ness calls for Lisa to become “below deckish”
Need some water – go down below
Need that sea sick patch – go down below
OOPS, need alcohol wipe before you put on the patch – go down below
Throw remains in the trash – go down below
We all need to eat – so say it with me – “go down below”
WELL, now I AM GETTING a bit whoozie – go down below and get yourself a patch LISA
Aside from that, all good.
I start my watch at 8pm – wake up Asleep #1 at 11:30 PM as mentioned earlier.
Go down below to sleep at midnight with Asleep #2 but Asleep #2 is really not asleep.
He is a tossin; and a turnin’ – so I decide to sleep in the forward cabin alongside my golf clubs – not so comfy but manage to fall asleep.
Asleep #2 (Kirk) awakens me at 7am because he cannot stay awake and his shift ends at 8am. He now owes me an hour b/c I keep track of these things.
On to DAY 2 at 7:15 after I get some cream and coffee. Lisa Out.
DAY 2 (Saturday)
Arrived in the keys after lunch. Comfortable but a bit tired. Stayed at a really nice marina. Had dinner with both captains and bought a genuine and most divine KEY LIME PIE – that’s right – bought the whole pie.
DAY 3 (Sunday)
Plan is to leave Key West at 5am on day 3 (Sunday) – but plans are made to be broken. We all agreed to depart at 2am. This time Captain Bill took us out of the marina and into the ocean. I took on the 6am shift with help from Asleep #2 for relief at 8am. Remember, he owed me an hour!
Easy Sailing / nothing to report EXCEPT making a cup of java was very challenging.
But then we go back to our dutiful shifts. 8PM to midnight for LISA…I did learn a lot about radar (AIS System) and how to identify ships that we cannot see – a bit intimidating but I did ok.
Moving around down below was quite difficult and challenging. I have bruises and cuts to prove. It’s like a ball in the pin ball machine – never know which way we are being thrown.
DAY 3 is quite choppy…did I mention Choppy….like 3-5 foot swells and 20 knots of wind. Did I mention Choppy. We had to reef main sales several times but we were cruising at 7-7.5 knots…pretty good pace. I am back on watch now at 10am. Asleep #1 went to bed down below to sleep and Asleep #2 received another patch and did sleep up on deck in case I need help.
Impossible to read, play scrabble or write…mostly time for small talk and BIG talk.
Less than 24 hours to go…AMEN.
Did I mention Big Talk…Kirk and I fully agreed that Passage Sailing for more than one night is not for us.
That’s right…we said it !
We like the Brian Walsh model – get the boat delivered where we want to be and jettison in for some island hopping because that’s what we like. Already talking to Captain Bill about bringing the boat back to Florida – without us 😊
I think that this was a great experience for us and that you don’t know until you know – that’s why we went on this adventure and with a delivery captain. PLUS, Lisa is a bit of a china doll when it come to her shins and skin…you know what I am talking about.
It’s not good when I get bounced around uncontrollably.
Cannot wait to arrive at El Milagro in Isla.
Day 4 (Tuesday)
We arrive at 8am and so excited to see land and the deck hands at the marina.
Hot showers and a host of Mexican authorities in order to clear customs. Spend better part of the day on that and getting our boat out of quarantine.
Everything goes faster than expected and we gave away $10 bills like it was candy. Gotta “tip” every government person that you deal with – but that’s Mexico.
On Tuesday, Dad (aka Asleep #2) suggest that I see a doctor for one of my abrasions that was not looking too good. Gotta admit, shin guards may have been a good decision.
I arrive in Isla as a hot mess that needs non emergency medical review. All good – antibiotics and special cream for a week. I cannot wait for things to clear up.
It takes us a couple of days to recuperate….it was a rough trip as it was quite taxing on us physically but we are excited to be at such a beautiful destination.
That’s it for now. Adios Amigos !