The Crossing

In case anyone thought that sailing the Med was all sunset swims and white sandy beaches let me tell you a little about crossing to the Straight of Bonifacio. In order to get from Mallorca in the Balearic Sea to Sardinia by boat one must endure 2-3 days of sailing. That doesn't sound that bad, right? I thought we live on the boat anyways, what are a few days without access to land? So far on the trip I have made one 12 hour overnight journey and a few 8 hour day trips. Try seeing two sunsets and two sunrises all without touching solid ground. It's like taking two 24 hour plane rides in heavy turbulence or experiencing an earthquake very five minutes for two days (those in Japan could probably handle it). Reading is hardly an option, no television, no music, nothing but praying for safe arrival.

Life went from Mamma Mia (we listen to a lot of Abba) to The Perfect Storm very quickly. The first day Dominik and I mostly slept, the first night not as much. I had the sunrise shift enjoyed watching the dawn break bundled in my waterproofs. As the second day unfolded the wind picked up considerably with 30knot winds, and heavier gusts. The waves grew to 5 meters high. Anyone not on duty was laying down and holding on in their cabins for dear life. We ate the same rice and beans both nights. I felt like a true sailor. Since Dominik is my main duty I was saved from my night shift scheduled for 2am in the pouring rain. Our captain Georg and crazy Austrian crew, who willingly agreed to participate in just this portion of the trip, kept us from harm's way. It was with extreme exhaustion and joy that we arrived in the safe harbor of Bonafacio.