All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea -- whether it is to sail or to watch it -- we are going back from whence we came.

John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963),

Reflections of a Blue Water Sailor

As our adventure comes to a close, one can?? t help but reflect upon what transpired during these past four incredible months. Challenges were undertaken, knowledge was gained, relationships were formed, friendships were strengthened, experience was obtained, and an even greater appreciation of the magnificent planet in which we live on was acquired.

The support from our network of family and friends was wonderful. No doubt we all had apprehensions, but as the event came closer and it was clear to everyone that this was for real and not just a fantasy, everyone?? s enthusiasm began to peak. Knowing our friends and family were sharing in our adventure made it even more special to us.

Our trip from New York to Hampton, Virginia made us better sailors with a stronger appreciation for the fury of the sea and how to cope with fear. Fortunately, our ocean passage to Tortola, was generally far milder. However, during our gulfstream crossing and on another stormy night at sea in which we were about 400 miles from the nearest body of land, times that would have been intimidating (as they were for others) turned out to be no big thing, thanks to our earlier experience.

The pre-departure meetings with the rest of the Caribbean 1500 Rally in Hampton, VA was also a great learning experience. We shared our concerns and solutions with each other and gained a lot of sailing wisdom.

However, the parts of the trip most meaningful to me went beyond the incredible sailing experience. As John had alluded to in our blog, the chance intersection of four people?? s lives for a two-week adventure at sea taught me a lot about the human condition. We worked as a team and with each passing day our bonds of mutual respect, friendship, and admiration grew stronger and stronger. Coming from entirely different backgrounds and circumstances, while entertaining and intriguing, meant nothing to the task at hand ??" a safe and enjoyable ocean passage. We placed our trust in each other and problem solved together. Our lives were in each other?? s hands. The work ethic was intense and everyone performed their responsibilities in a professional way. We were focused and were enjoying ourselves as well as each other. I feel that I couldn?? t have shared as memorable an event as this in my life, with a more wonderful group of men. My admiration and respect for John, Doug, and Jason could not have been any greater.

Getting a first hand glimpse of our ocean in a small sailing vessel was truly an incredible experience. Daybreak at sea was like a line out of Genesis. ?And the Lord said ??~Let there be light, and he saw it was good?? . Never have I seen a more breath taking sight. Sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, were all spectacular. Nighttime was equally incredible. The sky was so brilliantly lit up with stars, like nowhere else on earth. We were entertained with countless numbers of shooting stars and on one particular evening a series of meteor showers that was absolutely fantastic. Special effects in Hollywood could not have come close!

The small pod of whales that were no more than 150 feet from our boat, spouting out water, was an incredible sight to behold..

One of my most special moments occurred early one morning when I was on the 3:00 am to 6:00 am watch. At about 5:00 am, while it was still dark, I began to hear some noises around the boat that sounded like fish jumping out of the water. But it was too dark to see anything. The sea was relatively calm and we were traveling at a slow, but pleasant pace. As first light came I saw that the boat was surrounded by fins, not sharks but our playful dolphin friends who must have found a good source of fish to feed on in the shadow of our boat. There had to be at least twenty of them doing their thing around us for at least 30 minutes. The lighter it got the deeper I could see into the water and I was able to enjoy their actions more and more. Standing on the bow of the boat by this time I would have looked quite foolish to any observer as I as stared in open mouthed wonder at this beautiful sight of nature

And I cannot forget the first sight of land after eleven days at sea on our approach to Virgin Gorda. I couldn?? t sleep the whole night before because I was so excited. I took a shower about 4:00 am and came up on deck to witness the event with John who was on watch. Seeing Virgin Gorda was great!!! There were hugs, lots of high fives, and such an overwhelming sense of emotions as I shared something truly special with my extraordinary friend, John. That morning we took lots of pictures and videos on the boat as we sailed along. It doesn?? t get better than that!!!

And so I ask myself was it all worth it, the planning, the expense, the risk, the time? And the answer is clearly an emphatic YES!!! Would I do it again? ABSOLUTELY!!! The lessons about life and the exposure to a part of this planet in the manner in which we saw it will be etched in my mind forever. I am eternally grateful to everyone who made this happen. I give special thanks to my family for their support and encouragement and to my spectacular crewmates and friends, John Gore, Doug Duval, and Jason Trautz. This was truly an incredible adventure and a fulfillment of a awesome dream. .

God's earth