It was time to sail on. Dan let me take the helm for the first hour. He even complimented me on how well I had kept the vessel into the wind when he raised the main and let out the headsail. He was impressed that I was able to hold the course of 15’ pretty solidly. I thought, “Has he forgotten that I know how to do this? I know how to take orders. I’m learning when to question the captain’s decisions and when to shut up.” Then he took the helm and never let me have it back.
The passage to St. John from St. Croix is usually about a 5 hour beam reach. This trip was just that except we had fully reefed both sails in anticipation of a rougher go than usual due to the constant 20-25 knot winds. We’ve done this crossing a number of times and they were all sunny and pleasant, allowing time to nap, troll for dinner, or sun. This time was very different. We didn’t experience any rain, but the winds and waves made it necessary to hold on constantly. It’s a good thing that the water was warm because every so often a huge wave breached the cockpit and drenched us. All I could do was laugh and hold on tighter. (I have no pictures to offer because I couldn’t risk ruining another camera.)
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