3, 2, 1 … Gone. Again.

This time there hasn’t been any countdown.
There hasn’t been so many friendly hands on dock to wave us goodbye.
And yet, we departed.
Exactly seven days after we arrived to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle for repairs on our backstay. Seven intense days. First, the anxiety to find all the parts we needed with the Easter holiday quickly approaching. Then, once the hydraulic was fixed and in place, we proceeded to set up a contingency for it, should it go bad again. And then there was the restocking of our supplies and a few other chores.
As intense as it was, it wasn’t nearly as exhaustive as the pre-departure days in Barra de Navidad had been. We were much more paced. And that was good. It allowed us to reach the day of departure with serenity. When the time came to untie Pesto from the dock, it felt almost trivial.
Here we are now, some 80 miles into our passage and making our way into the vast amplitude of the Pacific Ocean. We had very good winds since crossing Cape Corrientes, and have sustained excellent average speeds for all of the day. Would have been a perfect departure, had Adriana not tripped in the cabin and hurt a toe on her right foot this afternoon. We put some topic medication and are observing now, but I suspect she will have to endure a couple days with her toe still in a bit of pain until it heals fully.
Night fell almost two hours ago, and boy is it dark ! The moon hasn’t come up yet. And the glare of the instruments inside the cockpit augments the feeling of darkness. I peeked my head outside and was in awe with the sky – the stars as bright as I’d never seen !
We will cross the shipping lanes tonight, promising lots of entertainment to contrast with the regular contemplative nature of the night shifts.
Starting tomorrow, the forecast is calling for lighter winds, particularly on Wednesday. If all goes well, we may arrive to the Trade Winds by the weekend, and then will commence the thrilling sleigh ride for nearly a week, as we approach the Equator.
But that is still too far away.
I’d rather concentrate on Now, the joy of being out here, the beauty of all these stars, and this nice night breeze which is pushing us along at such great speed.
Have a great night.
Pesto Out
19:37N 106.11W Bearing: 200 @ 7-8kts