sv evi

After a month of being in Savu Savu, mostly at the dock at the marina, we sailed away. We left at noon on Saturday in light easterly winds. We motor sailed with our mainsail up but no jib, heading east towards Vanua Balavu. Our destination was 115 miles away–an overnight passage. We could have picked a day sail to see how Wade did first…but we didn’t.

I often get seasick on the first day of a passage, or if it is rough and bouncy. Then I basically can only go below to hurry to my bunk and shut my eyes. And I can’t read or focus visually on anything up close (like the navigation charts). This means whoever I’m sailing with (Evi, or Riki) has to basically wait on me as I sit in the cockpit. “Babe, can you get me some carrots and peanut butter?” “What about some cheese and crackers?"… Because I know this about myself, I cook food in advance so that Riki can just heat it up on passage.

I was a little worried about how Wade would do–if he would get seasick like I do. But, luckily, it looks like he got his father’s stomach rather than mine. After Wade awoke from his nap in the Wade keeper, he and Riki played down below for about an hour. The sea state was such that I could never have done that!

At night the wind dropped off and it was completely becalmed. The stars were out in all their magnificence and the phosphorescence of our wake was mesmerizing. On my midnight-3 am watch I listened to my ipod and let my mind wander to other night watches 10 years ago when Evi, Susha and I crossed the Atlantic on Wonderland.  A few tears escaped as I thought about Ev, missing her.  Riki meanwhile was on watch the rest of the night (7 pm-12 am and 3 am-7 am)–what a good guy.

Wade did great. He loved the wind on his face–loved to stand & hold on to the lifeline. When we got to the pass in the reef, I put Wade in the Ergo and went up to the foredeck to look for coral while Riki steered.