Time to Move On

Into the great wide open!  We are headed out there.  Yes, I am feeling very Tom Petty today.

It's time to move on, time to get goin'...

What lies ahead I have no way of knowin'...

But under my feet, baby, the grass is growin'...

It's time to move on, time to get goin'...

That Tom Petty song has been on repeat in my head since we got up this morning and heard the weather forecast for tomorrow and realized we have our weather window to continue on.  We have decided that we are going to try to shoot for arriving in the Virgin Islands sometime in April, so we need to keep moving.  This is a big step, and marks the beginning of a new chapter for us.  For one, we are parting ways with most of our friends which is really sad, but we've had a good run and know in our hearts that this isn't goodbye - just goodbye, for now!   In addition, we are now heading out into the big blue ocean and will be doing longer passages (including many over night) via the "thorny path". (dun dun dun)

The "thorny path" is the name given to the windward route from the Bahamas to the Virgin Islands. It is called "thorny" because, in a word, it is (mostly) a very uncomfortable ride. The trade winds and current are against you, forcing you to have to beat into them head on, and safe harbors become fewer and farther between. I sought the advice of one experienced sailor I met through Cruisers Forum and he had this to say: "You can make it to the VI's by April if you are willing to grit your teeth, hang on for dear life and have a good engine and lots of diesel. When you do get to the Virgins, you will have earned the mythical badge of honor for now being real "ocean cruisers". You took your lickin's and kept on tickin'." Anyone fancy a cruise?

Either way, we are so excited and so ready for this next chapter. New places, new faces and new adventures lie ahead and we are ready to meet them all!

Love,

Brittany & Scott

PS.  Yes, we do have Bruce Van Sant's book "The Gentleman's Guide to Passages South" which, if we listen to him, promises to guide us via the "Thornless Path".  We plan to heed his advice as best we can.  Either way, we're preparing ourselves and our boat for a wild ride!