Full tanks of water plus 4 20 liter cans, full tank of fuel plus 10 20 liter cans stowed fore in the fore cabin and under the cockpit, all food on board, a moment of hesitation, a moment of disbelief, a last look around, a bit of lunch, try to remember the forgotten, fend off the fear that another breakdown... Naomi is heavy, I don’t know her, can’t gage her inertia, am timid with the throttle, never really sailed her. We motor out into the Chagaramas harbor, turn west and then north through the pass in light winds. Entrada Point @ 1500, raise the main with one reef, open the 95% genoa and cut the engine. For a moment we are engulfed in silence and then we are hit by a 18 knots of Trade wind pressure and a 1.5 meter sea, we fall all over our selves adjusting sails, the nose dives into the waves as we pick up speed, we are soon covered in spray, the deck is awash, news comes up from below that it is raining in the for cabin as well as in the clothes lockers (no one seems to have listened to me about packing in garbage bags)... we are off at last but there is no time to enjoy the moment, we are soon pounding along in a boat we don’t know how to sail and there are just too many problems to deal with at once. But it is beautiful!
