We have passed the halfway point to Horta. We are 1000 miles from Newport and roughly 1000 miles from Horta. You would think a big celebration in order, but my trial announcement with one crew member drew a response of “only halfway?”, so I have opted to celebrate quietly. Most crew are acutely aware of our precise location in any event.
The youngsters having failed to post enough pictures, I finally learned how to compress, save and post, so hopefully this will become more visual.
The 30 knot gusts never materialized last night. We were undercanvassed and a little slower for it, but better to err on the side of caution. Cam gave the Ted talk yesterday, on cancer research and apoptosis. It was eloquent and impressive and more than a little humbling. What, you do something important, like curing cancer? He does research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Way to go Cam.
Liz and I took the 2-5 am watch. We have kept ship’s time on Eastern Standard so this watch gets better and better, except your alarm goes off at 1:40 am. Our autopilot only works from below so with any real breeze we hand steer, taking 45 minute mini-shifts. It is quite enjoyable. At one point Liz looked North and deadpannned “It’s about to rain, a lot”. And rain it did, but only for about 30 min. Sunrise at 3:30 am was breathtaking (see photo). Then a rainbow appeared behind us , so vivid it startled you when you looked over your shoulder. A small pod of small dolphins came up to say hello, Liz laughing at their playful ways.
Matt and Dana came on watch at 5 am, cheerful. We shook out reef 2 and soldiered on. Cloudy skys and winds variable.
One of the biggest surprises of the trip is how busy we are. Chores abound: cooking, cleaning, making water, charging batteries, navigating, steering, changing sail configuration, fixing broken stuff. Though our watches are spaced nicely, you nevertheless feel an important urge to grab sleep ahead of a late-night watch. (The crew wishes you to appreciate this so as to explain their slovenly posting habits.)
The wind has now moved to the ENE and the swells have picked up. We just took a wave over the bow that dribbled saltwater through the dogged-down hatch in the main cabin. Tom’s IPAD, objecting to the sudden heel, just launched itself from the setee and wedged neatly under the cabin chair. Jackie just made two loaves of bread, one cinnamon raisin. Time for lunch, Bill’s Ted talk at 1:00.
MJ
St. Martin -> Newport 
James 3:4
“Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. “
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Half way there! Love reading these posts and seeing the pictures, I set up an old laptop in the kitchen to be the designated map computer, so we can always watch your progress. I can just imagine what “Half way there” feels like after almost a week on the water. What an exciting trip. Stay safe all.
MH
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Thanks MH! I am glad you are following us. I am having a blast but missing my other four kids and Mary.
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Love every minute of this trip. Thanks for posting more photos! The Smiles Prevail! Happiness Evident!
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Love seeing the pictures! I have been worried but seeing everyone’s smiling faces makes me feel better. What an amazing adventure you all are experiencing. Is Cam losing at strip poker in the selfie?? Best wishes for steady wind and calm seas. xo to Cam and Liz.
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I have a very deep question..How deep is the water?
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Sorry, we have little idea, our depth gauge maxes out at 500 feet or so. I think several thousand feet.
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I confirmed (by looking at the chart on our main salon table) that it is 2800 feet deep where we are. Once East of Georges Bank, the Atlantic along our route is generally 2000-3000 feet deep.
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Thanks for more great pictures! Gorgeous sunrise indeed! … More than half way there ~ … you’ll make it I swear. (~love the music connection). You’re all in my thoughts and heart constantly, as I know is the case with the rest of our family …and that’s a lot of love! XoXo
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so obtuse. I didn’t get the post title until my wife explained it!
Dooh.
showers didn’t seem to dampen spirits, i Hope you are GoPro’ing the Ted Talks, what a great idea.
Best Wishes
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Great story and images. With a new moon, you should have no problem how many stars there actually are up there.I look forward to your estimate.
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Wonderful blog and half way there is certainly cause for celebration! U will prob all need a few days sleep after this amazing trip! 😘😘
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