Sail tomorrow with the tide

2230 Wednesday July 22, Alameda, CA.

 

What have we forgotten? What will it be like to be sailing again for the horizon until land disappears behind us? What lies for us over the 2100 miles as we sail to Hawaii. How will we feel sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge tomorrow?

 

We sail with tide at 7 am. This is the beginning of a very big sail – The first leg of our sail to Hawaii marks just the beginning. We will all be up with the sun, making final preparations, each of us arranging our gear, doing the final stowing of provisions and checking the ships gear. There won’t be one amongst us who wont be feeling some trepidation mixed with excitement over what the next two to three weeks holds. But none of us would trade places with anyone on the planet!

 

Earlier tonight, as the sun was setting over the Grand Marina, the champagne flowed as we thanked Poseidon and toasted those that sailed aboard this boat before us. We were, you see, renaming her and being careful not to offend the gods of the sea. We were careful not to offend. We each spoke over the toast, saying thanks for other’s safe passages before us, and asking the same for ours. We were remembering those we love who are not with us for this trip, and saying a few words about what it means to each of us to be on this journey.

 

And we are ready. The boat is ready. Our families are ready. And we are ready as a crew of friends and family to share this journey together. After the de-naming words were spoken, we opened another bottle, and toasted to her new name, Conversations II. We crowded over the transom and spilled champagne over her new name in blue. Others in the marina must have thought we were nuts, but there are enough sailors here, to know this is serious business!

 

And now, the lights are going out over each of our bunks. As each of us close out this our last day ashore, I think we are all wondering how much we will sleep tonight and what tomorrow will bring.  What will tomorrow bring? I for one, can’t wait to find out!

 

Cresswell