Escape Velocity is anchored safely in Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela, Galapagos, with a few gallons of diesel to spare. We were greeted by dancing rays, frigate birds, penguins, a shark and the local agent who requests our presence ashore for the formalities. We’re making him wait, though, as Jack de-squids the decks and scrubs the nasty sea residue off the back steps and while I read the hundreds of blog and Facebook comments and emails we’ve received.
The other day, feeling the lowest of the low, out of nowhere Jack said, “I’m not ready to give up.”
“Me neither,” I said. “I love sailors. I love the cruising community.”
This is our place. This is our life. Maybe someday that will change, but for now we’re sticking with it. We know it’ll be a long and frustrating part of our journey to get back to sea again but we’ll do it. And the outpouring of love, support, ideas on where to go and how to get there, the offers of help, the stories you share of your own mishaps and misfortunes and challenges — all of it reminds us that we’re where we should be and that we are not alone. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you sailors and nonsailors and wannabes and don’t-wannabes, thank you to people we know and people we haven’t met yet, and people we may never meet. Your messages touch us to the very core and give us so much strength to keep calm and carry on.
This morning as we approached the harbor we crossed paths with two boats starting the journey we began one week ago. Both boats sailed over to us, hailed us on the radio and offered their condolences and good luck in the repairs. We wished them a safe passage and we waved energetically until they were out of sight. Later we heard them talking to each other about seeing us. “They seem in good spirits,” said one. And so we are. But we also know the chilling effect this kind of experience has on all the other boats. What we do is not for the faint of heart.
We are touched that so many of our readers appreciate the poem that guides us, in particular the line on our blog header: Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.
Our journey continues.