Witnessing a swarm of honey bees was somewhat like what we experienced when leaving San Pedro, Belize; except we were swarmed by mosquitoes! It was awful! In our preparation for this trip Dan and I had discussed at length with our doctor the pros and cons of taking malaria prophylaxis when in the Central American countries where the CDC indicated it would be prudent. We secured the Chloroquin in the States and when it came time to start taking it we reconsidered and decided to follow our experience up to now, which was: there were no mosquitoes where we were. The wind was light and we couldn’t get away from them. We covered ourselves with insect repellent, light our anti-insect burner and swatted ourselves, and each other, as these invaders looked for a morsel of flesh to puncture. The open companionway invited these critters inside so the screens came up and we needed to “clear the way” if either of us needed to come below. It lasted all day! Countertops looked like battlefields when we at last were able to freely enter “our” home. Trying to take myself out of the situation I saw two large adults tormented by multitudes of tiny mosquitoes. It made me laugh. Hopefully our strategies worked and we didn’t contract malaria in the process.
Except for this unwanted send-off we had a flawless sail for 4½ days. The winds were mild, Dan navigated us along the favorable currents and we did not witness any of the oil spill. This languid type of sail lends itself to reading, gin rummy and introspection. The pursuit of a floating bottle – there was no message, only barnacles galore – prompted us to write our own message in a bottle and release it in the Gulf of Mexico.
Once we reached the Gulf of Mexico we were sometimes in the shipping lane. Our AIS alerts us to the location of these vessels and it also alerts them to us. The information provided by the GPS tells us the vessel’s length, speed and destination as well as their heading and the nearest approach to us. Two times an approaching ship called us on the VHF radio and indicated that we should hold our course and they would alter theirs.
We eat nourishing foods on Gypsy but the options are limited by the ability to find the ingredients in the market and by the ability to store them. The luscious colors of the rainbow that emerged after a light shower reminded me of the gelato shop in Placencia. Rich raspberry, creamy lemon – an active imagination serves me well…The light shed by the moon glow is much appreciated during the darkness of night. The rhythm of the sunrise and the sunset and the moonrise and the moonset creates a framework to relate to the passage of time as day blends into night. I did notice that the moon gets slighted when the sun is in the sky simultaneously.
Dolphins blessed us with their presence once again. I never tire of their graceful flow through the sea. I find myself calling out to them and welcoming them to come near. Who am I kidding? It is their home; I’m the visitor!We rarely see birds when we are far off shore so it is “a sign” when birds start to once again be part of our landscape. Land is near! It is daunting to me to think of the pelagic birds that soar continuously far out over the landless seas, returning to a spot of earth only for mating.
We decided that we could come into Key West at night because we had been here before and even though there are some place where there is shallow water, we know where they are. The lights of Key West were several miles in the distance when a vessel approached us on our starboard side and once within “our space” they flashed their lights and identified themselves as U S customs and immigration. After asking a couple of preliminary questions across the waves they told us they needed to board our vessel. Two young gentlemen with guns strapped to their hips stepped across the chasm once their boat positioned herself alongside Gypsy. Our official papers are always in a portable briefcase so providing the necessary paperwork was relatively easy except for the lack of sufficient light. Headlamps work wonders in those situations. One of the first questions asked was if we had stopped anywhere on our way from Belize to Key West. I felt that we were believed but just to be sure the customs officer asked to look at out GPS which showed the path we had sailed to get here. While one official sat with Dan in the cockpit going over our paperwork, I turned lights on down below and made the space accessible for the second official to peer into every nook and cranny looking for any illegal immigrants. It was a friendly visit that even when you are innocent of any wrongdoing it does cause some feelings of trepidation. Even with this inspection we were required to call first and then go to the immigration office first thing the next morning.
As we approached the U S an unexpected excitement came over me. I never fully appreciated all the conveniences and opportunities available to me when I lived here. There are plenty of embarrassments about how our country has behaved in the world but I do feel a newly inspired commitment to exercise my responsibilities as a citizen to make the difference one person makes.
