Back on Terra Firma!
We made it! Firstly a BIG thank you for all your wishes and gratulations that are still coming in to the iridium satellite powered ‘boat’ email which, out of habit, we daily power up! We look forward to recharging here in Le Marin before returning home to Switzerland and seeing all our dear friends again soon!
Mr ST after successful transatlantic crossing.
We’re both fine and very, very content, as are skipper Yvon and dear co-crew Edwin and Pauline. Apart from a few bruises (all of us from hitting furniture and table edges in rough weather), heavy scrapes and bashed thigh (Mrs ST falling down the trapdoor in galley), rope burns (Mr ST not wearing gloves) and deep cuts (Mr ST pierced by his fish filleting knife), we thankfully have no dramatic injuries. It’s incredible to see land in the distance after almost three weeks of ocean and the closer we get to the Le Marin bay – to signs of civilisation and other boats – the more our spirits pick up. For all of us, the mental, physical and emotional discipline we powered up to keep going could finally relax and there are radiant smiles and a buzz all around the boat.
The crossing from Las Palmas to Martinique took 18 days, a bit longer than expected but the 15 knots of wind we saw in the last three days kept everything fun and exciting. The final run along the coast of Martinique was amazing with Quarterback giving her best and accelerating to her new home base, hitting speeds of up to 13 knots.
Pauline, Edwin & Mr ST
On coming into Le Marin, we first stop by the diesel dock to fill up the tank (we’d consumed 260 litres of diesel) and then onto the Autremer Concept dock where a small group awaits us with waves and hugs. Stepping off the boat onto land doesn’t feel odd at all. No giddiness or rubbery sea-legs. But suddenly everything is so quiet. Many of you asked how it felt on the boat. Well, imagine the worst airplane turbulence you’ve experienced. Now imagine it never stops over the course of 18 days. The bouncing, swaying, tilting and surging – that’s exactly how it felt. In the last days though, it was the constant noise that was hardest on our nerves. Sounds of wind rushing and whooshing, waves crashing and water sloshing, ropes hitting the hull. We expected the constant motion to be challenging and it was, but the incessant acoustic stimulation was most strenuous, the sounds of sailing are so loud and they never stop. Now at last, the noise stopped. The Le Marin marina is huge, it’s full of life, people and boats coming and going but it seems our ears are padded with cotton wool, everything sounds so quiet and calm.
We then leave Quarterback, bundle into cars to Yvon and Anne’s beautiful caribbean hilltop house for a delicious lunch of all we had been craving in the last days at sea: a big bowl of fresh green salad and barbecued Cote de Boeuf!
Skipper Yvon & Mr ST
The rest of the afternoon is spent packing up our belongings, emptying cabins, transporting all the leftover food and disposing rubbish before heading to our small nearby hotel to rest for the next few days before we return to work. Still buzzing from our experience and so used to the lovely rocking motion in our boat cabin bed, it’s hard to fall asleep and when we do, we’re soon awoken when the alarm rings for the midnight watch!
Now a day on, we’re still finding our feet. The feeling of drunken giddiness and walking on shaky ground is stronger than on the first day. After a delay, its all coming out, though not sure what ”it” is; feels like a delayed case of severe jet lag.
The transatlantic crossing is undeniably a significant undertaking on many levels. We each experienced our very personal challenges in various moments and have powerful images that will remain throughout our lives.
We’re now enjoying the warm temperatures here in Martinique, the lush greenery, the air heavy with the scent of flowers, colourful tropical birds visiting us on the veranda to peck at our croissant crumbs and we’ll spend Christmas Eve on the plane flying back home. That’s how we choose it and it makes us very happy.
We wish you all a very Happy Christmas and will be back!
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