We sailed 700 km from Rockport to Isla Mujeres, Mexico and 942 km from Isla Mujeres, Mexico to Santa Marta, Columbia: Total of 1,642 km!!! This is a photo of our tracker so you can get an idea of our route. We had some brutal days and brutal nights, but for the most part our weather planning paid off. We were very excited to see that Esperanza can hold her own in rough seas. We also used our new spinnaker.
During long voyages it is important to get in a routine and find productive things to do. If we are not working on the boat fixing things, cleaning or sailing we usually find time to do other tasks. I am learning how to crochet, brushing up on my Spanish, Decoupage/Journal/painting, photography and reading various books. Garland has several books he is usually plugged into or reading on Day Trading he is also brushing up on his Spanish as well. Oh, and of course his nightly ritual of listening to various Keto books or videos! Believe it or not there is a lot of down time during the day. Most of the time you will find a good sail plan and stick with it until the wind changes. Bad weather times are another ball game. At that time it is all hands on deck and all routines get thrown out of the window. We had a bad night and day of weather which had all of our senses on edge. It is hard to sleep or do anything else except endure and keep the boat traveling in the right direction safely. We try to avoid crazy weather, but unfortunately it is impossible to steer clear of storms 100%. The storms that worry a sailor the most are electrically charged and could strike your boat at anytime. If your boat gets struck by lightning it can cause a lot of damage and cause problems with navigation. We always carry paper maps and have other systems in place in case of any kind of electrical issues.
This photo on our radar shows one of the crazy storms that decided to pop up in the middle of the night, of course on my watch. Luckily, my wing man, G Mann is alway ready to help me out when we meet challenges. This storm was a doozy! Sustaining 25 knots of wind with gusts over 4o knots, with buckets of rain to make it even more enjoyable. The instruments decided to glitch out for a little while which always adds to the stress of it all.
G Mann always has my back! He slept in the bean bag in the salon area just in case I needed help with anything.
During our voyages we are lucky to see amazing sunsets, stars, the moon lit sky, and beautiful wild life. This trip we were so excited to see beautiful whales hanging out about a 100 miles off the coast of Jamaica. I struggle with finding the right shot and also, wanting to enjoy the moment.
We think these were Sperm Whales! Just a guess, I am definitely not Jacques Cousteau.
Beautiful Rainbow at sea!
We always stay clipped in with our life jackets while we are on watch. Our life jackets also have Man overboard ocean signals on them which are activated when our life jackets inflate. The signal will alert coast guard of the location the sailer has gone overboard.
Welcome to Columbia!
We arrived in Santa Marta, Columbia on Thanksgiving evening. We had a nice sail into the port. We checked in with no problems and the stay at the marina has been very nice. We explored a little but, we have many other places we would like to travel to. I will return to the USA for the birth of my third grandchild so we will do our adventuring around to the national parks etc... when I return on January 6, 2024. Garland will be holding down the fort until I return. Ray has decided to return back to the United States and we wish him well. Here are a few pictures of Santa Marta, Columbia.
Local Fish Market
Much needed R & R Time
Ray decided to return home to pursue other opportunities and we wish him all the best.
Wow! Looks so beautiful! I have been to Cartagena and try to go there if possible. It was like a beautiful version of New Orleans in my opinion. Enjoy and safe travels!
Love you guys!! So proud of my awesome parents.
You two will have a host of new friends arriving for your sail through the canal, and if ever there was a dynomite duo, you are!
You two are amazing! The voyage your on is a tremendous experience and Ann and I wish y’all lots of luck and smooth sailing to your destination! We are there with you in spirit and keep the sails pointed towards your dream!
It sucks that Ray left. He such a good man!