Today is July 26, 2018 and the most magnificent thing happened: Dolphins.
The winds returned and we began sailing rather quickly, fast enough that we were comfortable under full sail without much effort and yet the seas hadn’t built yet so we were moving along at a relatively flat attitude. Out of nowhere I begin hearing the sounds of dolphins as they jump out of the water to survey the world above the waters edge. They approach the cockpit where I stand up and begin filming them. They seem to like this and we have found that if we do not make a big to-do over their presence at this point, they will then just swim along to somewhere else. If we do this big to-do, they will then move up to the bow and begin bow riding us!
To make this moment even more special, we were moving along under full sail at speeds over 6 knots! The dolphins in the past seemed to get bored with us and basically float along in front of the boat as if offering to give us a tow if we threw them a line simply because they felt sorry for how slow we were moving. These dolphins got to have fun bow riding us! We were moving and they were kicking!
Dolphins are one of the most awesome parts of blue water cruising. It doesn’t matter the weather, the conditions, or your energy level; when dolphins come around, all you want to do is watch them play and stare in awe at the awesome display of grace and agility that a dolphin embodies.
As the sun began to get low on the horizon (and the dolphins probably got a bit tired) they departed us and we were once again all alone out in the middle of the ocean. The closest mammals in this part of the world came to pay us a visit and check in on us, but now they have gone back to their world as we skim the surface of an alien world where we are merely visitors who have already sent in our mark from far away (plastics).
Sunsets out in the ocean are always beautiful, and one of my favorite parts about being out at sea. The clouds block out the sun but the rays come peering through in splendid form, reminding you that you are an insignificant observer in this incomprehensibly large universe.
