By Ally Nobels – Guest Crew
Hello from off the Northern Coast of the Dominican Republic! We are now half way to our final destination of Key West, Florida from the mesmerizing St Lucia. We’ve got a sturdy crew of eight, four men and four women, led by the latter! For me as a young aspiring sailor, there is nothing more inspiring than to see a skipper, first mate and deckhand all rock it on board!
The winds have been fairly good to us, always shifting, as they do. We’ve had our share of rain and swells, a storm, but anticipation has been the number one rule. When at the helm these bits of the ocean always tend true; the waves come in sets, the squalls always pass. The sun always rises and sets in its predictable way, no matter which team is on watch.
Considering our sea flight, we’ve had quite a bit of marine life to see, a couple of whales on the first day, a pod of dolphins a few days after and the occasional squawk of a lone bird dancing around the rigging. Quite a few flying fish have come up for a look, and at times we’ve found them stranded on deck.
Everyone is getting their bearings as much as they can. A lot of sleeping mixed in with a breath of socializing over our impeccably cooked meals. Always something new and different! It has been most invigorating to get to know this group of strangers, all coming together for one purpose during these two weeks. We’ve all touched on our mission and our goals in being here for a multitude of reasons. Some of us have an unquenchable thirst for adventure, no matter what age. Some of us maybe looking to escape and gather some clarity away from our respective homes for a while; for some, this is all a part of a career in boating, the next step towards further qualifications. We come from many places, the Netherlands, France, Canada/ Brazil, the United Kingdom and the United States. However we all come together in sharing our love of the sea, the whipping of the wind, the crashing of swells, the rocking, rising and settling of our beautiful vessel Sea Dragon.
It’s been nearly two years to the day since I first stepped foot on board- incredibly near to where we are now in the Dominican Republic actually. I know now, still as I knew then the kind of grand opportunity this is, and to share it with so many like-minded, compassionate and ambitious souls from all walks of life. I am so thankful for the friendships we’ve built and adventures we’ve shared, getting to return for this more challenging passage is a dream of mine, I’m sure as well as the rest of the crew. To complete this journey, accomplish whatever it may be that we wanted to face here, and step off albeit a little more sun burnt perhaps- a more confident, inspired and experienced sailor as well as human being- that’s all I could ask for. But for now, we keep sailing, can’t believe we’re already halfway there!