Delta 1 Day 12-13: 21 Hour Nautical Voyage
written by Mate-In-Training, Megan Lundequam
July 5-July 6, 2017
The most exciting day of program to date has finally arrived! The Delta crew awoke this morning ready to get going on their next great adventure. After a hearty breakfast, Attila and Rioja dropped the ball at Trellis Bay and made their way around Beef Island to fuel up and re-provision at Hodges Creek Marina before departing for their overnight sail. Once on docks, the crews prepped themselves and their vessel for the passage. The navigation station was cleared to make room for our passage chart and passage log, jack lines were rigged down the port and starboard gunnels, and the dinghy was hoisted and lashed to the bow. After a final land shower, the Delta crew was off through the Round Rock passage and out into the open ocean to make their way to Marigot, St. Martin.
The crews dug in to their pre-made grilled cheese sandwiches and began their watch schedules. They plotted their course at every hour and checked the dinghy lines and bilges. After their 3-hour watch, they went down below to sleep until their next shift.
At just before noon, we were dropping anchor in the bay of Marigot, a 21 hour 100+ nautical journey! Once safely on anchor, the crew celebrated with a big breakfast and, after a tidy-up, a BIG nap! In the afternoon, the crews of Attila and Rioja showered up and headed ashore to stroll through the sleepy French town and had dinner at a waterfront restaurant in Marina Royale called le Galeon. The crews exchanged stories from the passage and enjoyed pizza and sodas. After dinner, the crews got together for boat meeting before heading off to bed to rest up for the their Leeward Island Adventures!
