A typical day
could start before dawn, at anchor, in a small wild cove, away from civilization.
As agreed the night before, some of the crew decided to catch up on some sleep in their cabins. Cradled by the slight roll and pitch of the boat, they can smell the coffee escaping the moka pot, hear the sound of the machines turning on and suddenly see a red light through the porthole.
It’s Sandra’s headlamp going past the window, getting ready to weigh anchor.
At the bow, foot of the mast, on the instruments or at the helm, everyone is at their post, ready to maneuver. The captain gives out instructions and we’re off, the sailboat picks up speed and heads out of the cover and into open water.
The sea is calm, and it’s with all sails out that the sailboat makes its’ way at a speed of 4 knots. At this pace, there’s less to do. Some chat or practice nautical knots, Guillaume repairs the drawer that has been creaking for 2 days and the team members take turns at the helm, receiving instructions from the previous helmsperson.
Around noon, with everyone on the deck, hunger strikes. The small tapas cooked by Marc will not be enough, we have to think about the midday meal. Head for a small island on which there is nothing more than a lighthouse overlooking the sea.
According to the map, the south of the island is the perfect place to drop anchor, the water level is around 5 meters and we’ll be protected from the wind, which is currently gathering its’ strength. At the moment the air temperature is high, so no need to designate someone to go and check if the anchor is positioned properly, actually, Katy is already putting her fins.
Once the boat is secure, its’ lunchtime. On the menu: mixed salad, and fresh fruit for dessert. Before everyone gets drowsy and wants a nap, we decide to go visit the lighthouse. Everyone grabs their waterproof bag and we’re off, swimming along the coast. After about a ten minute walk we discover an old building, very poorly maintained and ravaged by time. It’s far from what we imagined from afar. Nevertheless, the images taken by the drone and cameras are gorgeous.
The forecast was not wrong, the wind is picking up and it’s time to set sail for our destination. Departure with two reefs in the mainsail and one reef in the jib, you can’t be too careful! The boat is going at full speed, the wind whistles in the shrouds, the waves strike against the hull and with each tack, you can hear the winches tightening the jib sheet. It’s a little sportier than this morning, it’s about always keeping a free hand to hold on.
Reaching our destination, a small village welcomes us and offers mooring buoys for visitors. We take the buoy without difficulty. A green turtle, curious, swims a few meters from the boat before diving back down to the seabed. We’re preparing to go ashore by tender. The crew splits up to buy food, hardware, and a few postcards.
Back on the boat, everyone is busy cooking the seafood, purchased a few hours earlier.
The day ends with a debrief, everyone can share their opinion on how the day went as well as thoughts on the following days. We decide to stay two days in this bay, because there’s still a lot of things to explore, by foot or by snorkel.
It’s been a long afternoon, after a little glass of rum, it’s time to tidy up the cockpit and go to bed.