We truly had an amazing run at the crossing. We were blessed with great winds for the majority of the trip. We did endure a cross swell for much of the trip which made for a lumpy bumpy ride at times but no complaints here. Completing the crossing in 18 days 20 hours surpassed even our wildest dreams.
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Though we let out a lot of line, we never really caught any fish. That is not to say that we didn't have some really great fish stories. Note the infamous "flying fish" to the left. Those long fins give them some amazing flying capabilities. This is him lying on the floor of our galley.
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Life on the crossing was not much different. We cook, eat, clean and study our school work much like any other day. Your house/school/office just keeps moving right along like a little city on water working round the clock. One of the favorite tasks of the boys was to take down the coordinates of all the boats on the crossing and mark them on our map. You can see them dot the map from Mexico to the Islands on the right. |
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One of the great highlights of the trip was our many guests. Here is one in particular who just couldn't stand to part from us. They appear to be having a meeting of the minds at the moment.
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A second highlight is undoubtedly crossing the equator. Traditions dictate that one needs to pay homage to King Neptune and give thanks for letting you cross his ocean safely. We gladly obliged. Each member of the crew donned a crown in his honor, toasted him with the purest of waters we had to drink, sacrificed a wee bit of tequila for him and took a quick swim in his waters. We all vowed to continue our trip with open minds, willing spirits and generous hearts. At this point we joyfully turned from polywogs to shellbacks!
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Though it was full of challenges all it's own, it was an amazing time. There was never a question in any of our minds about crossing from the start of the trip. The crew certainly proved themselves worthy of their blue water status. |
