Wind Surf Day 7 – Sails Up in the Mid-Atlantic

 “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain

Wind Surf Transatlantic Sailing Day 7 


The midpoint of our crossing was fast approaching, and yesterday’s calm waters gave way to a renewed appreciation for just how far we had come. Each morning now began not with the thought of the distance covered, but with the acceptance of time’s gentle unfolding.


Morning in the Mid-Atlantic 


We have all heard the anecdote that it is the things that we don’t do that we regret the most. Over the years, I have been fortunate to only have a few big regrets in terms of things I didn’t do or expedition opportunities that we were offered a place on and didn’t venture out with. Amid all of our travels ....both of us have, for years, dreamt about sailing across the ocean. The notion of being on a small vessel on a vast journey is the type of undertaking that seafarers and explorers once did ... and we wanted to feel a part of those long-gone days.

 

I think that had we passed by the opportunity to get on board Wind Surf, it would have been a lasting regret – for the first week on board, we are continually struck by the fact that it does not seem like any type of mere cruise, as much as it seems more like a historic expedition. Today would take the excitement of being on board Wind Surf to an even grander level!

Missed Birding Opportunities 


It is now day six at sea, and so far, it is like no other. The sky was cloudless overhead, and the seas around us were calm, broken only by gently rolling ripples that had a smooth, soft, burnished look. A nice warm breeze was blowing as we sat on the deck of Veranda, enjoying our breakfast outside. 


The only disappointment occurred when a fellow passenger asked if we had seen the albatross following behind the ship just after sunrise this morning. We had not. Apparently, it hung out for about five minutes, letting all those who were awake and on deck photograph it to their heart's content. A wonderful birding opportunity that I would have loved, but I suppose you can't have everything.
 

Sailing Across the Atlantic Ocean 


We were standing at the railing, just about ready to head inside for Pat and Rosemarie Keough’s talk on photographic composition when the quiet bells of the PA system chimed. It was far too early for the Captain's noon announcement, but it turned out to be something just as exciting! The Captain’s message was short and amazing!

“Good morning, everyone. As you can tell, the day is beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, we are going to put the sails up!”


Given this news, we hurried to the front of the ship to watch as the sails were slowly unfurled one by one to the sounds of the epic sailaway music. It was a stunning sight, and it gave us goosebumps to watch it!

Standing at the front of the ship, Sean muttered to himself that “This is simply amazing!” To which, unknown to us, Captain Trevor, who was standing behind us replied, “Yes, they don’t make them like this anymore. You know it always looks this beautiful, every time the sails go up.”


Standing on deck, under sails fully unfurled, in the middle of the Atlantic, you feel that you are truly alive. Your soul exalts with the beauty and terrible power of the ocean only a few feet away. And you feel free.
 

Finding Peace and Restfulness 


I have to admit that we didn't head back inside afterward. Instead, we wandered the decks, going from deck 4 to deck 6 and back, enjoying the sight of the crisp white sails against the bright blue sky. We stopped at the railings often to look down into the brilliant blue waters. We could see the sunlight filtering down into the depths, making long beams that danced and shifted, their patterns reminding us of the northern lights. In the moment, it felt as though we were communing with the ocean and the winds. It had taken until we had reached the mid-Atlantic and mid-point of our voyage, but we were sailing!


 

These were the moments that we had dreamed of and hoped for when setting out! Talk about dreams becoming real!

Today it feels like the mood of the sea is mimicking our own internal state. When we got on board, we were excited for a new adventure to begin, and the winds of change were blowing strongly. We arrived worn down, burned out, anxious, and tied in knots so tight we could barely extricate ourselves enough to move forward. The ‘what if’s’ nearly kept us from taking that first step out the door. For the first few days of the voyage, the sea around us was extremely active, with 3.5 m swells and wind-whipped whitecaps. Everything was tossing and turning, and at times the wind was howling. Now, seven days in, we've managed to relax, unwind, and rest up, and as if to mirror this, the waters around lie still.


Camino Request 


Voyages rarely unfold as expected. As the Atlantic flexed its muscles, our path curved increasingly southward, carrying us not to Lisbon, Portugal but instead to Cádiz, Spain, which also meant that our hiking plans again changed. To reflect our course correction and the subsequent alteration to our trekking itinerary, we had an unusual request of the Bridge Crew. One that only a pilgrim could hope for.


Having visited the bridge and chatted several times with the Captain and his officers, we had decided to pluck up the courage to ask … if they had a stamp for the ship?

Why a stamp?

Well, for our Camino Credentials of course!


Stepping onto the bridge, Sean asked a young officer who had the watch. Without missing a beat, this young man found the bridge stamp, and we got our first Camino stamp! Indeed, rather than being shocked by our request, what ensued was a conversation about the fact that we would be actually hiking out of Cadiz, his hometown, to Santiago de Compostela.

Maps were taken out and the route of the Via Augusta from Cadiz to Seville, the way of the Via de la Plata from Seville to Granja de Moreruela, and the pilgrimage along the Camino Sanabres from Granja de Moreruela to Santiago de Compostela were traced out, examined, and talked about.

Officially, we have begun this year's Camino in St. Maarten on Wind Surf!

Once again, the open bridge policy on board Wind Surf is amazing!

 
Captain’s Noon Update 


When the Captain made his noon announcement, he suggested that the next few days might be this calm. With the sails up, the Wind Surf is now doing her top speed of 12 knots, and it seems we have travelled 293 miles since yesterday. 


We are sailing through 1.5-2 m seas, the wind is blowing at 20 knots, and it is 26°C. In other words, it is perfect. The nearest land is now Cape Verde, which lies 863 miles east of us. This means we are now more than halfway across the Atlantic, but still 1,420 miles from Las Palmas.
 

Missed Photographing Opportunities 


Sean wasn't feeling in top form today, so he went below for the afternoon, while I stayed up on deck. At 1:30 PM, passengers were offered the opportunity to go out to the bowsprit to have their photos taken. I joined the cue, more out of a desire to walk out onto the very front of the ship and look straight down than to have my photo taken. The view from there was amazing, both looking outward toward the horizon and looking back toward the ship with all the sails unfurled.


While I was waiting in line, the Captain and first officer were chatting with the other passengers. It seems that we are rather far behind schedule at the moment, and we are still expecting to sail into some very foul weather as we approach Portugal. The Captain has decided to resupply in the Canary Islands to avoid the worst of it, but at some point, he will have to steer us northward into the thick of it. 

It seems that when and where we disembark are by no means decided at this point. We will be deposited on land, but it may not be in Portugal, and it may not be on Friday. Apparently, much like travelling across Canada by train on Via Rail’s cross-country rail voyage, The Canadian, changes in itinerary are common on these transatlantic crossings. Fine by me, if it means more time on board Wind Surf, that sounds great!

Poolside Ice Cream Social


After the photos, there was an ice cream social on the back deck beside the swimming pool, which is now full of salt water and open for business. Seeing how much the water in it was sloshing about on this calm day, I wondered if they would have had to empty it during the rougher seas even if it didn't need repairs. With Sean still below, I spent the afternoon sitting in the shade, enjoying the view, and reading about the Via de la Plata route in Spain. 


Wind Surf could well be a version of paradise.


Classic Images of a Classic Ship


A few hours later, feeling a little better, Sean returned to wander and photograph the ship with her sails up. He had long wanted to see such a vessel under sail power, and to see the sails unfurled was amazing.




          

The only catch, at least for him, was that he was on board the ship, which somewhat limits taking pictures of it and its sails. Undeterred, he ultimately – to the amusement of many on board – had to get creative.


Dinner in Amphora


We had made plans earlier to meet Jenny and her brother for dinner in Amphora at 7:00 PM. It turned out to be a lovely dinner, with Jenny and Daniel sharing stories of their childhood in Bogota, Daniel's life as a photographer and videographer living on a sailboat, and Jenny's work with the national parks service in the US Virgin Islands. 


Dinner was delicious, beginning with a Greek salad that had peaches and sea beans in addition to the usual ingredients, followed by a beetroot and broccoli tart that was extremely tasty. I ended with a milk chocolate mousse that was very rich and delicious. The conversation was so interesting that we were among the last to leave the restaurant.

Evening Trivia With Matt O

When we finished dinner, there was trivia going on in the lounge, and since Matt O always makes these events a lot of fun, we slipped in to listen. In this round, the teams had to guess which band or singer sang a specific song after listening to a short clip, and the theme was 'Motown Moments'. 


As always, competition was fierce, and it was fun. We ended the evening as usual, by sitting outside Compass Rose, enjoying the soft, cool night air.


“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea.”
 Karen Blixen, Out of Africa



The evening horizon concluded another day of new discoveries, both within ourselves and across the changing sea. Tomorrow would mark another step toward Europe, though it still felt wonderfully far away.
Location: Cabo Verde

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