Simply
amazing experience. A very good lesson about yourself, life and nature. Finally
time to slow down and enjoy simple things. Last 4 weeks gave me more, than i
would even expect. Gave me an opportunity to learn patience, respect for the
Ocean and listen to amazing stories of others with no distraction. Meet people
with same dreams and ideas for life. On one hand totally different, but in
those small details exactly the same. Adjust myself to sailing rhythmus driven
by the navigation and cooking shifts. Being dependent on the wind and weather
and play with it, not against. Having long nostalgic moments and crazy funny
laughs. Being in total darkness steering to nowhere and next night seeing sky
full of stars. I cannot even figure out how many wishes I have said J at least half of them were for good
wind and fresh fish :)
On Friday
11.11.2016 rest of the crew: Jowita with Marek, Andrzej, Bartek, Adam and Piotr
joined us on the boat and we spent a very nice integration evening together
with the second polish crew: Pawel and his crazy Gorlice Team :)
Saturday
was a „technical day“, so still some last pimp my rides and buying a food. It
is kind of challenge to estimate amount of food for 8 people needed during 3
weeks passage on the Atlantic Ocean. Imagine: absolutely no possibility to buy
anything on the way… If you we are lucky, we will catch nice tuna or barracuda,
but it is better to have it as a nice surprise, than a backup plan for food. We
made a loooong list of potential lunches/dinners and went to Dino. It took us 4
hours and 8 full trolleys. 20kg potatoes, 6 kg rice, 10kg noodles, 10kg
tomatoes, 300 liters of water although we have 1000l in the tank and very fast water
maker. Another couple of hours were needed to store it on the boat. Even the
smallest free space was used to pack something.
At the
evening I met my friends: Justyna and captain Tomek and still enjoyed last
moments of civilization.
Ready
steady gooooo: on Sunday we did only last, small preparations, ate big
breakfast on the shore and hoped for no sea sickness. So far I was always
pretty good, but hello: here we do not stop for 3 weeks… At 1.30 PM we started
with our 1st nM. Only 2700 left… sounds like a challenge J
Unbelievable
how good i could adjust to such a small space with 7 random people. There were
no arguments, no bad moments, everybody was smiling and enjoying this journey
on their own way. We could integrate and also easily switch off and enjoy
lonely moments. Absolute WOW.
We have
shared the most important value: time, which was very well invested. For most
people 4 weeks sound like everlasting and believe me, I do not even know when it
passed.
We were
estimating around 18 days (+/- 2 days) for those 2700 nM counting on north/east
passats. Surprisingly there was no such wind till the very last days. Imagine
total still in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Instead of being mad as this
meant delays we simply enjoyed calm, unwind dinner with candles J Well, at the end I am not in the hurry.
Sometimes I
even had a feeling that my days are too short. Enjoying every meal was simply outstanding, having an easy going
midday nap, reading nice books, watching movies, learning new sailing skills
from our smart skipper Jasiek. When we had harder times, always nice surprise
showed up: catching delicious Calmars, after rain sun was shining and after
still wind was blowing. Exactly like in our life, after hard days, good ones
are about to come.
It all only
increased my appetite for more. Now it is time to start part 2: sailing in Caribbean,
hmmm it is hard to live simple :p
