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we are about 5 hrs from Turtle Bay, sailing downwind around 6k in the right direction, converging with about 5 other boats and have decided to go into anchor at night. Hopefully will be anchored by midnight and asleep shortly after that if we can calm down. all is well. Roxy is cooking lamb stew and rice. She is an awesome cook :) getting hungry. gotta go to take video of Roxy cooking for her mom to see. ooxx
Two sleeps on Celtic Song and everyone seems to have found their rhythm. Two hour watches and duties assigned. Meal prep and clean-up occur fairly effortlessly. The stress of everyday life is beginning to fade. The sea is an obvious prescription for our crew, five like-minded people, leaving their jobs, family and friends behind to live our dream, find adventure, solitude and possibly peace of mind...that RESET button that is a rarity.
All the beauty that nature has to offer surrounds us, encapsulates our 40ft vessel, as we surf up and down the 8ft swells (although last night was substantially larger and rockier)...still no complaints! The moon and stars show their brilliance, not to be outdone the sun rises and spectacularly a new day dawns. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 1025 first sighting of land, Cedros Island. We should reach our first stop at Turtle Bay around 2300. This is where we will meet up with all the other boats and crew to enjoy activities before our next leg. While I contemplate everything that has occurred to bring me to this place in time, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. So many things could have been different, some people might think they should have been different, but as this past year has brought about a multitude of changes that could have broke me, I found my sanity in sailing. When everything else fell apart, I never gave up on my dream to sail around the world...the dream just got a makeover. For a few of us this is the longest offshore passage to date. For me this will be the beginning of many more to come. Fair winds! May all your days be graced with spectacular sunsets and brilliant sunrises. On that note it is warm and I am off to take my turn at showering on deck...Shelly Anyone who truly loves sailing and boats will understand what I mean when I say that coming back onboard Celtic Song is like seeing a dear friend you have missed. The days and nights I've been lucky enough to spend on this beautiful boat have made us feel like companions. I love her wood accents, her sails, and her portholes... which this morning show only a view of open ocean on all sides.
The anticipation of this trip has been a bit overwhelming. Months of planning, dreaming, and excitement built up to our departure yesterday. My husband John and I are joining Captain Diane and the rest of the crew for the next 10 days, sailing from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas as part of the famous Baja Ha-Ha. Settling into our first 24 hours of this almost two week trip, I'm struck by how incredibly grateful I am to be here. I'm thankful that life has brought kindred spirits and amazing opportunities like this one into my world. I'm also grateful that I've been brave enough to say "Yes!" to creating the kind of life I truly cherish living. This gratitude is front and center in my thoughts as we sail. And it happens just about every time I'm on the ocean. Maybe it is the way the frantic pace of life slows down on the water. Maybe it is just the way sailing makes you stop and be present, completely in the moment and your surroundings. All I know is that I love the way it makes me slow down. Here are a few of the wonderful things I've noticed after being back on the water for only one day. - Food Tastes Better on a Boat Captain Diane says this all the time, and it is very true. Our galley is packed with fresh food and produce, and we have already had delicious sandwiches with basil, tomato and turkey, wonderful soup for dinner, and then fresh oatmeal and berries for breakfast. I savor every bite when I'm sailing... it all just feels more special somehow. - Night Watch Most people will tell you how much they love the solitude and tranquility of night watch. Stars really are so much brighter out here on the ocean! It is also true that it can be stressful at times, especially if you are in an area with lots of cargo ships or fishing boats with no lights... but what I am struck by the most of this trip is all the little nuances of night watch that I love. When everyone on Celtic Song is asleep, it is a different world. The red lights we use to preserve our night vision cast a soft glow on everything. I love the ritual of gearing up for my watch shift -- warm beanie, PFD, hot tea. I'm usually still waking up as I make my log entry, checking lat and long, scanning radar to see what is nearby, reacquainting myself with the current bearing and plotted course. Even checking the barometer feels comforting and familiar to me now. As we change shifts, we chat softly in the cockpit. I look forward to getting up for a 2 am watch, and I don't think I ever would have anticipated that! - Naps and Downtime I love taking naps... but there is truly nothing better than taking a nap while sailing. I think there is something decadent about allowing yourself to rest and not feeling guilty. We get into such a beautiful pattern when underway. The crew gathers for breakfast and morning chatter, then everyone feels free to spread out. Napping, sitting on the bow and taking in the view, or maybe blogging. :) Unless you are on watch (or when we are putting the spinnaker up!) your time is yours. And having nothing to do feels like the most precious luxury. Speaking of which, I'm logging off to go do nothing now but enjoy the view. Anna Davison Thank goodness for the iron genny. There's a saying popular among cruisers about the wind. It goes like this..."
There are three kinds of wind, too much wind, not enough wind or wind from the wrong direction. Ha ha on the ha ha. We have Winds from the South at 2-3 knots! Wrong direction and not enough! We did manage to sail for 3 hours between 5 and 6 knots on our rumb line in the afternoon. Crew are settling in as we slowly release the tentacles of land. We are racing along slowly with about 150 other boats, of souls on board in the HAHA Approximately 550 participants. The Grand Poobah said it is the largest HaHa on record. At the moment not a lot to report. We are all getting familiar with our nav tools on board, Coastal Explorer, Radar, AIS. Currently we are motor-sailing at 5.5 knots, south east toward Turtle Bay due to arrive in a couple of days. Sophie , our dog onboard is doing OK. Not too happy about missing her run and ball chasing. Whoa gotta run. There is a big boat overtaking me right now, pretty close to my stern! More to come later. Diane signing off Nanimino bars from Dee!
Untying the dock lines; wishing fair winds and following seas .... Susie Campbell’s boat ‘Campbell Sloop’ & Celtic Song with Blue Hearts 💙 at the starting line.
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