Jack woke me at 4am for my second shift. I came out to the cockpit and he gave me a rundown on course and speed. Yeah, yeah, I said, go get some sleep.
I climbed into the helmsman’s seat to look at the chart and scan the horizon. I saw a lot of lights on the right and searched for the binoculars for a better look but couldn’t find them. I got down and crawled past the cockpit table to peer over the side deck past the enclosure. That, I said to myself, is an island!
I went back to the chart to confirm that it was St. Thomas, off our starboard bow. I leaned down the companionway and called, “Land ho!” and in a flash Jack was back up and looking too, positively giddy.
We’re still about 15 miles from St. John where we will clear in. There’s a full moon beside us, islands ahead of us, and behind us twenty years of dreams.
I hope you can get the winch problem completely taken care of in St. John’s. And may you both get a full 8 hours sleep!