Back in the USA!!!

             Friday, after logging 1491 nautical miles since Santo Domingo, we sailed past Fernandina Beach and into the St. Mary’s river. During our twelve-day voyage from the Dominican Republic to Florida, we sailed north through the Mona Passage, past the southern Bahaman islands, along the north coast of Cuba, up into the Gulf Stream and along the eastern side of Florida. After more than a week ashore in the Dominican Republic, getting back into the rhythm of being underway was difficult. However, after a few days everyone seemed to fall into the schedule again. Along the way we saw tiger sharks and dolphins, caught tuna, Mahi Mahi and a Wahoo, and sailed through squalls, Sargasso and bioluminescence.

            Yesterday afternoon, as Fernandina approached on the horizon, someone on up on deck yelled “Dolphins!” I hurried up on deck and joined the few people who had already congregated at the rail. Swimming along, matching speed with Gamage was a group of Dolphins, maybe a dozen. The animals dart along, just under the surface of the water, moving in the wake pushed up by the bow of the boat. I quickly put on a harness and laid out in the head-rig, trying to get a better look. As I stood out in the bowsprit net, the dolphins were swimming along only a few inches beneath my feet. They surface just long enough for their blowhole to exhale a plume of mist, and then dive back down, twisting like a cork under the water.

            At the same time, we were sailing “Wing on wing,” which is when the main is sheeted out on one side and the fore is sheeted out on the other. This impressive sail display made the view from the head-rig even more awesome.

Alex Paige