Route to the Rio: Meet the Crew

The gals, photo by Tom.

The fellas, photo by Mel.

Just yesterday we wrote the first account of our trip from Mexico to Guatemala. What we didn't do is introduce you to the team. Katy and I are the mainstays on the boat and for the Mexico-Belize leg we were lucky to have two of our closest friends join us for two weeks.

Meet the Crew

Mikee

El Capitán. Mikee captains the boat, makes sure it doesn't crash into hard objects below the surface, and probably other important things.

Several pieces of technology aboard are said to have the ability to help with these tasks, but being a pisces he has no need for such distractions, including paying any kind of attention to astrological signs, and navigates strictly on gut feeling... and usually his gut steers us to beach bars and beer.

Katy

This one is the lady of the ship. Katy is an organizational champion and rationalizer of El Capitán. Mikee may run the helm, but this one is the captain of their lives. She makes everyone’s lives more comfortable, inside and out.

She has an iron stomach and has never been seasick in her life… which makes her the ace for prepping anything below while we’re heeling at 30 degrees flying over whitecaps.

She is married to Mikee. To this day no one has yet discovered exactly why.

Melissa

New to the sea, Mel was a welcomed addition to the crew for a two week stretch from Mexico to Belize. 

Mel is the calm before the storm (see below for the storm), the delicate touch to a typically rugged affair. She is the head that shakes at the black bear tearing apart the cabin (see El Capitán) and a voice of reason.

If you have a chance for Mel as crew, you should be so lucky. You will not be so lucky.

Tom

Tommy is one of those friends you hold closest to your heart in the world. The man can do no wrong.

But, Tommy is more than just a dear friend. He is help whenever needed, he is a wild card when you have a ticket that needs to be punched. He can be both, the right kind of liability and your only stability. This man can take one of the finest photos you’ve ever seen.You should see some here. Immediately.

With any luck, after this sailing trip he is now hooked for life, because every boat is better off with this man aboard.

A Week Later, You Miss the Sea

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When you come back to stable ground after a time away, you miss the sea. Maybe because it's all new to us, or each day out there has something different. A new high, a new low. Engine trouble, the perfect sail trim, the bow bursting through waves taller than the boat, or cutting through the shallow blues of the Caribbean. While living in the same quarters your front yard changes every day.

It's calm and clear, two feet and coral with thousands of fish below the keel. It's tall, and deep, and dark purple mixed with blue and thousands of feet underneath.

Every day you see dolphins, or tired birds that find the pulpit for a nap, sharks, tuna, squalls or sunshine.

You look forward to the early mornings, shutting down evenings with the sunset and a glass. Tending to sheets and winches while underway, watching the weather and killing time finding that extra half knot.

I would live on the sea. Not in marinas or even on the hook, but out to sea in the big stuff. We can't just yet, we have our work and our lives to manage. For now it's just something to visit, and something to miss when you step ashore, and look forward to returning to as soon as you can.

Soon, To the Rio

In the last week we have been moving from one three bedroom house to another, provisioning the boat, installing the new halyard, mast light, windex, new barometer, new autopilot bracket, replacing the head discharge hose, gasket, running three businesses, and fitting in some route study sessions between it all.

With everything going on, we pushed back the departure date 24 hours. Thursday morning at the first sign of light, we are out of here and cannot wait to be out of range of emails, notifications, trips to the hardware store, phone calls and everything in between that the land beckons. 

15 days of swimming, fishing, sailing and drinking at anchor on Edward Blair can't come soon enough.