Wind Surf Day 2 – Finding our Sea Legs

 “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
Andre Gide

Wind Surf Transatlantic Sailing Day 2

The first day at sea had introduced us to the rhythm of the Wind Surf, and by morning, we were beginning to feel the steady roll of the Atlantic less as a challenge and more as a companion. With the coastline of St. Maarten far behind us, the horizon stretched endlessly, a reminder that the voyage had truly begun.

Morning on MSY Wind Surf 

After a rather sleepless night, the alarm went off at 5:30 AM.

Now to be clear (and utterly honest), the fact that I had not slept last night had little to do with any discomfort or sea sickness – instead it was the result of being excited at the notion of being on board a sailing vessel heading out into the ocean. As such, I had spent most of the night kneeling on the bed looking out the porthole into the inky darkness.

We had intended to get up to watch the sunrise, but when I looked out of the porthole, the sky was overcast. Fifteen minutes later, a grey light illuminated the ocean around us, but it didn't look as if there would be a sunrise. I lay back down, hoping to rest for a few short minutes more. Last night was pretty wavy, and while thankfully we never felt seasick, the constant motion and low roar of the waves outside the ship took some getting used to. Regardless, it was extremely comfortable.

Coffee and Snacks at the Yacht Club

When we looked out a few minutes before 6:00 AM, the sky was blue and the sun was up, revealing an unexpectedly beautiful morning. We hurriedly got dressed and headed up to the Yacht Club, a snack bar on deck four, where Lissette greeted us, gave us a wonderful cup of coffee and a glass of granola with yogurt. 

There were already a handful of other passengers out and about, some coming from or heading to the gym on the top deck of the ship. I guess all the extra motion would only add to the intensity of a workout if you had the balance and coordination to stay upright while doing it.

Flying Fish 

After our breakfast, we headed out onto the deck and made our way to the front of the ship. The wind was so strong, and the waves so active, that it was difficult to stand upright, but it felt so refreshing and energizing, and to top it off, we soon caught our first glimpse of flying fish (Excocoetidae)! They seemed to joyously erupt out of the bright royal blue waves like silver darts that flashed in the bright sunshine. They didn't just leap, they flew - changing direction in mid air and gaining altitude, looking a little like hummingbirds as they zipped through the air with their fin flapping like translucent wings. They emerged from the water in groups of a dozen or more, making it look like the sea was alive.

Giving rise to a number of questions, including: Why do flying fish fly? And, what is a group of flying fish called? Is it a school? A flock? According to the bridge staff, a group of flying fish may be called a school, but it can also be referred to as a “glide” of flying fish.

Watching us examining the waves, another passenger, a retired Marine Biologist, by the name of Jenny, walked up to us exclaiming, “How cool is that a swimming creature flies and a flying creature that swims!” What a great perspective!

We spent the morning slowly circling the deck, looking for signs of wildlife in turbulent waves. We spotted several small birds with brown backs and light breasts that skimmed across the surface of the water, which I suspect were Leach’s Storm-Petrels. Later on, a lone Northern Gannet kept pace with the ship, diving after the flying fish. We watched it for a while until a larger bird, possibly a Brown Booby, began dive bombing it, presumably trying to steal its fish. It felt like the ship had a winged escort.

Chat with the Captain

As we walked around the deck, we were shocked when the Captain opened the bridge door and came out to talk with us! Though we would soon discover that this was entirely par for the course on Windstar Cruises, it was a sharp contrast to either of the other vessels we had been on, where, if you were lucky, you would be invited to a formal cocktail party one evening, which is a setting neither of us excels in.

Today, however, the Captain chatted about a number of things, but mostly was interested in me walking around with binoculars – and so we chatted about whales, dolphins and birds! Seriously, how cool is that? That the Captain would take an interest and freely talk away with a passenger was wonderful! In addition to which, it was great to see the bridge and discover that the crew seemed to have a genuine interest in exploration.

 

Sun Burnt

As the land and islands of the Caribbean slipped further and further behind us we began to settle in the rhythms of ship life. Unfortunately, however, having spent the long Canadian winter inside working behind computer screens, it didn’t take long for our pasty white skin to get sunburnt. This meant that we soon had to retreat under the awnings outside the Verandah restaurant, which was now full of people enjoying breakfast. 

It was the perfect spot to sit, enjoying a second cup of coffee, being in the shade, and taking in the magnificent panoramic view. As we enjoyed ourselves, the friendly staff chatted with us, telling us tales of the birds and whales that they had seen over the months and years that they had been serving on board ships. Jealous, I thought of signing onto the crew immediately!

Squalls on the High Seas

As the morning progressed, the ship passed through several squalls. We could see them approaching up ahead, looking dark, solid, and ominous. Like a wall of grey, they seemed to block our path, the waves beneath them looking like little mountains. It was quite daunting, but within minutes of entering the storms, we were through the other side, emerging back out into the sunshine. 

Ten minutes later, the rain that had soaked the deck would already have gone, evaporated in the strong sun and wind. During one of the squalls, we took shelter under an overhang on the lee side of the ship. While standing there, Rosemarie Keough, who was exercising at the time and who is a fellow member of the Explorer's Club, very kindly extended an invitation to join them for dinner tomorrow night. How kind!

Captain’s Noon Announcement

At noon, the Captain gave his daily update from the bridge, informing us that we had travelled 143 miles since leaving St. Maarten, and that the closest land was now Barbuda. We were travelling into 30 knot winds, and it was 27°C outside. Despite yesterday’s predictions of rough seas, it was turning out to be a gorgeous day!

 As the day wore on and the heat picked up, we took shelter under the roof at the back of the ship. As we sat there, two giant birds flew past, a few quick pictures from Sean, and an upload to iNaturalist later confirmed that there was a pair of Magnificent Frigatebirds! Another lady who we'd spoken to earlier used her tablet to try to identify them, but I think we need the photos to be sure.

Tour of MSY Wind Surf

Feeling a little worn out and more than a little sunburned after our morning adventures, we slipped back down to our cabin for a short nap. The gentle sway of the ocean and the coziness of our ship’s cabin worked their magic quickly and did much to revive us. Or maybe it was the treats that were brought to our room that revived us?  

When we emerged later that afternoon, refreshed and ready to move again, we decided it was time to truly get to know our home at sea. So, we set off on a small tour of the Wind Surf.

Visit to Compass Rose 

Having spent an hour or so exploring and getting to know Wind Surf, we headed back up to Compass Rose, the bar at the back of the ship. I asked to try the cocktail of the day, called 'The Captain Hook', which was several kinds of rum mixed with orange and pineapple juice. It looked very fancy and tasted quite good.

While we relaxed in the shade of the back deck and listened to live piano music, Sean spotted several dolphins playing in the waves beside the ship. Sadly, they disappeared before they could have their photos taken.

 

Dinner in Amphora 

After a relaxing afternoon, it was eventually time to head back down and change for dinner. Showered and freshened up, Sean wore dress pants, a collared shirt and a tie while I slipped into a dress for the night. While not a super formal ship, there was also no denying that while on board a transatlantic crossing, much like travelling across Canada on Via Rail’s iconic transcontinental train, the Canadian or its Atlantic counterpart, the Ocean, did give way to many passengers taking on a more formal look at dinner.

Tonight we shared a table with four other ladies, all of whom had very interesting stories. Ferida was from St. Maarten and had walked the Camino Frances on the Camino de Santiago in Spain many times with her sister, who just passed away last year. She told us about life on St. Maarten as well, sharing photos of the monkeys that come to eat the flowers in her garden, and saying that the iguanas are pests who eat her garden plants. Mimi was an elderly lady from Aruba who had sailed on the Wind Surf every year since 1991 and is clearly a staff favourite. Sarah was from Chicago and made shoes, as well as teaching others to make them. Her cousin Deb was from Arizona and had many stories of her own.

The meal itself was delicious. Sean had mushroom portelini and sesame tofu, while I had the market salad and lemon spaghetti with pine nuts and basil. We all had the red raspberry trifle for dessert, which was delicious but extremely rich. It was an excellent meal shared with the very best company, and it was easy to enjoy every moment.

Compass Rose and Evening on Deck

After the meal, we went back up onto the deck and sat outside the Compass Rose bar, enjoying the live music trio from Argentina playing popular songs. Some of the other passengers got up to dance, which made for a nice evening. Sitting outside under a blanket of stars in the middle of the ocean, wrapped in the warm embrace of velvety summer’s night, we could hardly believe any of it was really happening or that we were lucky enough to be there in that moment.

We stayed out on deck as long as possible, savouring the experience and wishing it would never end.

 

All good things must come to an end, and so we eventually returned to our stateroom. Opening our door, it was again evident that our room had been professionally refreshed. New fruit was put on our table, our bed was turned down, and the next day’s program had been laid out. In addition to all of this, a treat was provided for us by our amazing stateroom attendant Ni Luh.

The only downside to the evening was that we already have a time change tonight, meaning it will be one hour shorter than usual. So, it is now time for bed if we want to get up to see the sunrise tomorrow. It was a wonderful, tiring day of relaxing at sea.

As darkness fell, the ocean seemed both vast and intimate, its waves cradling us into the night. Our hope is that the gentle rhythms of the ship will rock us into a peaceful sleep. Tomorrow promised new patterns of life on board: a balance of rest, discovery, and surprises at sea.

Read about Our Ship Tour of Wind Surf →