The loadstar.....

Grenada has been our leg three loadstar.

The last day began about 85nm outside of Grenada. As we rounded Tobago, the northern island of Trinidad and Tobago, the wind was light, and the seas were rolly.

Compression creates odd dynamics regarding wind and waves. One person called it the “washing machine” because the swell was coming from every direction. The map called it the Tobago Basin. Nowadays, it seems like every country has a basin.

The last push is often the hardest. You are already mentally to the end but not physically there yet. People sometimes talk about the need to punch through the last 20%, and although this is not true, it can emotionally feel like it takes 80% of the effort.

But finishing what you started is a skill. Only with endings do new beginnings unfold. Some people do not like endings, whereas others see them as the beginning of new possibilities. Some people avoid endings and do everything they can to avoid them. I embrace them.

As we enjoyed the ending of leg three, I spent much time sitting on the front deck and just enjoying it. Enjoying sailing and enjoying the salt air. Turtles, we sailed by. Enjoying land ho. Enjoying thinking about leg four.

On this trip, we sailed. I know that sounds odd, but even when the wind was down, we sailed. We avoided the temptation to turn on the motors, and we stayed committed to the mission. We took no shortcuts.

The commitment to the craft and finishing what you started is how this leg needed to end.

The first three legs have been a legitimate shakedown sail. The pounding the boat takes is hard to explain in text. Everything is pushed hard and for an extended amount of time. One of our three legs would have been enough for a shakedown, and we piled all three in it.

Things have broken or are not working anymore (like our fridges). They need to be tuned. The list of issues is long.

Grenada is the first island we have stopped at with a proper sailing infrastructure, and it represents a chance to fix some things before leg four quickly.

Excited to explore. More to come tomorrow with the facts and figures on the journey

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