Sailing Along…..Reflections…..
11 September 2012, (Eastern Hemisphere)
Dear F&F,
On this ominous date, I am reminded of how big events can be in this world, yet how small we are out here floating upon the vast Indian Ocean. The voyages this season will have \”Beach House\” putting on some real mileage.
To recap.. Our first legs were from Brisbane to Darwin where we covered some 2200 miles. From Darwin to Kupang/Lembata then on to Bali approximately 1200 miles.
We\’re now embarking across the Indian Ocean. Our first leg from Bali to Christmas Island is 570 miles. From Christmas to Cocos-Keeling Island about another 500 miles. From Cocos-Keeling to Saloman Atoll in Chagos Archipelago around 1500 miles and from there to Nosy Be, Madagascar, another 1600 miles. The final planned leg will be across the Mozambique Channel (with conditions similar to the US East Coast\’s \”Gulf Stream\”) and into Richards Bay, South Africa an additional 1000 miles. At some time in the Southern Hemisphere Summer, I\’ll most likely work the boat around to Cape Town, an additional 1500 miles.
All in all, around 10,000 miles in this one season, a little over 1/3rd the distance \”Beach House\” had covered in the previous 7 years! Think almost two complete round trips from Los Angeles to New York or Brisbane to Perth. And don\’t forget, we\’re going about 7 mph or 10 kph. Little boat, big ocean, lots of distance.
I always said this trip was much like the journey in the \”Lord of the Rings\” trilogy. Three books. The first from Los Angeles to New Zealand, the second from New Zealand across the Indian Ocean to South Africa, the last across the South Atlantic and Caribbean through the Panama Canal to tag our outbound track. It certainly remains to be seen that this will be accomplished, but onward we go….
So I thought I\’d take this momentus day to reflect and look at the big picture. Sometimes it\’s so big, it\’s scary, but one day at time and perhaps the elephant can be eaten…:-)
Last night was pretty ideal as to sailing conditions. We\’ve a 1+ knot current pushing us along and it\’s really helping. We hope to have this gift the entire way across to South Africa. Nikki, who is an inveterate stargazer, was using her IPAD App last night with it\’s GPS to see the night sky in real time, reflecting on the bright phosphorescence in our wake.
So yes, \”onward\”….
KIT, more as we go… Scott and Nikki