our first offshore sailing experience, pt. 1

I don't have the time to do a full write up of our trip sailing from the Bahamas to the Virginia ("What happened to NJ?" you say? Well, that comes in the next blog post) so I'll throw out a few lists and facts as an executive summary and follow up later on this week with a full report.

Here's a list of things Christy threw up the first 2 1/2 days at sea:

• one ham sandwich


• three peanut butter crackers


• an apple


• 21 saltines


• an anti-seasickness pill (Irony - you are a cruel mistress)


• Christmas dinner, 2007


• one pair of Keen sandals, green


• 8 bucks in Sacajawea dollar coins (dibs!)


• and a partridge in a pear tree

Now, I know what you're thinking: Jason, you steely-eyed man of action - you never once got seasick! Well, ahem. Rather than mete out my vomit in polite deliveries into the galley sink or overboard over the course of a few days like Christy, I chose to save it all up into one single gastronomical Pompeii all over Christy, the cockpit, starboard side deck, and lifelines. And I still ejected enough detritus overboard to create a navigation hazard. So if you're currently sailing the Gulf Stream, keep a weather eye out for Puke Island.

Here's a list of things I smashed with my ass while flying from the port side of the boat to the starboard side of the boat after we plowed into a particularly disgruntled wave:

• starboard hanging locker door


• my ego

Some fun facts:

• number of sharks seen while snorkeling: 1


• number of times I touched the GPS screen after distinctly being told not to: 2


• highest wind speed seen on the anemometer: 36 knots


• highest wave height experienced: 18 feet


• highest wave height experienced according to my estimation: 70 feet


• number of times Christy flew off the starboard settee while her dad, Carl, and I changed tacks without warning her: 1


• number of times Carl and I unfurled the staysail only to immediately refurl it back in (average per watch): 24.5


• number of coconuts jettisoned off Virginia Beach to avoid the wrath of U.S. Customs: 12


• amount of produce frantically shoved into our mouths as three armed U.S. Customs officials walked down the dock towards our boat (in pounds): 8


• amount of pleasure from inhaling the first Dairy Queen milkshake upon landing in Norfolk, VA after 6 days at sea: not numerically quantifiable

That's all for now. All kidding aside, it was a great trip, lots of fun and we gleaned buckets of information. More to come when I get the pictures uploaded and a little time to sort out the trip in my head.

(continued here)