Time to Say Goodbye !!

Our two year adventure crossing oceans and teasing winds has come to an end.

Danica is still at Clark's Court Marina in Grenada waiting for freedom seeking dreamers to sail her into sunsets again. She will not disappoint.

Captain and I are settling into life on land.
I am resuming my career path and I am super excited to be joining Community Development Department at the City of Nanaimo, on the NE tip of the Vancouver island.

I want to thank everybody who followed us through this blog. Sharing our amazing journey over the cyberspace was lots of fun. My home project now is to edit and organize over 16,000 photos on my laptops's hard drive. I plan to take my time and enjoy countless sunrises and sunsets from ocean passages, beautiful countries and people we visited and cherish the memories we spent with the World Arc fleet over the 15 months.
Warm hugs, stay safe and never stop dreaming...

Corona virus is changing the globe.
Captain and I have been in transit for the past three days. When we were told that Grenada's airport was closing on Sunday, we packed our bags and quickly stopped by Danica on the way to the airport. First we flew to Barbados and experienced a very "authentic" accommodation. In the morning we caught a flight to St. Lucia's regional airport and technically completed our 360' circumnavigation.
A two hour taxi ride to the international airport was great. We had a very nice driver who proved to be an awesome tour guide. More travel drama at St. Lucia's airport when we found out that we were actually not confirmed on Air Canada flight to Toronto. A very nice young man at the airport changed Glen's plane tickets for the fourth time and we continued our pilgrimage towards Canada. Arrived to our Toronto hotel at 1 am this morning and left for the airport at 6 am, just to be told that our 7:20 am flight was cancelled and two later flights were overbooked. Now we are waiting for the 4 pm flight to Vancouver
I am taking an advantage of free WiFi. All stores are closed, except Timmy's and a couple of restaurants that do take outs only.
What a difference from my last trip in December when the place was busy and vibrant.
We will be in quarantine for two weeks when we get home.
I think crossing Indian Ocean was a picnic compared to the uncertainty ahead of us now....
Please stay safe, practice social distancing and take care of each other....This too shall pass and we will emerge stronger and kinder....

We have been in Grenada for the past week trying to figure out how to get home ASAP in light of the Corona virus global shutdown. Glen managed to change our plane tickets to depart Grenada next Thursday, March 26, 2020, two months earlier than originally planned.
Danica has been listed for sale. She is getting all cleaned up and polished. As I was wiping her interior yesterday I realized once again what a fantastic home she provided over the past three years. 31,500 NM we covered as we danced through the Mediterranean, North Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and finally South Atlantic Ocean. Unforgettable memories are imprinted in my heart and soul. I have bid Danica goodbye a few months ago in Australia when we thought that our blue water sailing days were over due to Captain's pulmonary embolism.
At that time I wrote a blog but have not posted it, because we found the courage to continue with our ocean voyage. I dug out the post from last August, and here it goes.....All is still true, except double the mileage and even deeper love and appreciation.

Time to Say Goodbye - Thank you Danica 1

Thank you, Danica 1, for being my beautiful home and a solid, seaworthy yacht that carried Captain and me around the globe. We covered nearly 17,000 NM cruising and crossing the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Your heavy white sails matched the strong winds and your colorful outfits danced with lighter breezes as we glided over shades of blue into sunsets and sunrises for days at a time. What an adventure we had! The night watches under the starry skies bonded us as much as laborious sailing through some angry seas and crushing waves. I felt each one of those merciless slaps and I often marveled how strong and solid you were. I aimed to match your example when I needed to step out of my comfort zone and do what I had to do. You were my teacher, my protector and my trusted companion. I thank you from the bottom of my heart!!
Our relationship begun when we first saw you in Marmaris, Turkey just before Christmas 2016. You looked lonely at the Albatros boat yard and ready for new masters. I felt like we were embarking on a new adventure which could be a bit over our heads. But you stole our hearts and your adoption dug deep into our pockets. Kiki became Danica 1 and you were graced with a maple leaf flag. Captain spent over a month supervising your transformation from a coastal boat to a yacht being able to cross oceans and wander out of the Mediterranean. Our journey from Turkey to Australia has been absolutely amazing. Crossing the Mediterranean was very interesting and challenging due to variable winds and fuel problems. Crossing the Atlantic presented it own excitement due to rigging breakage, but crossing the Pacific was like stepping in and out of Paradise as we were visiting the most beautiful islands. From the Galapagos, through the Marquises, Tuamotus and Society Islands to Suwarrow in Cooks Islands and Niue, Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu. Living the National Geographic moments at its best. This experience often bruised you and stretched your limits as much as it stretched ours.
But life circumstances change. Captain has been warned by doctors that his blue water sailing days are likely over. This means finding a new home base and masters for you. I pray that you will continue to be loved and cherished. You will likely be flagged with stars instead of a maple leaf, and maybe your name will change as well. Change is good. It encourages growth.
The memories with you are imprinted in my heart and soul because you were deeply loved and thus you became a part of me.
Fair winds my love. May the Southern Cross watch over you and may the Sea Gods be kind!!!

This was Danica's last passage. It was a long and challenging journey over nineteen days. Captain did lots of soul searching as we bounced in high waves on the beam for most of the trip. For me, those rocky movements, in winds below 15 knots, are almost soothing and I was able to practice my ukulele every day. Graduated from "Mary has a little Lamb" to "Amazing Grace". This little instrument was quite a companion and I will continue the friendship when I settle back home.
The next month will be busy with boat maintenance and final WARC party in St. Lucia.
Being off the grid for almost three weeks we were missed news about coronavirus. Pretty serious stuff. Not sure how it will affect us and our travels. We are booked to fly home on May 25th.

I am glad that we stayed long enough in Salvador to experience this unique street party. We enjoyed dinner at the restaurant and observed different performing groups from the balcony. Later on we strolled around two larger town squares and attended a concert with a popular Brazilian band. I have never seen bands on trucks with loud speakers before. Crowds followed them and danced and sang along. Awesome. Costumes and dress codes were often beyond my imagination but strong police presence provided for a fun and safe environment. Not nearly as much craziness as I anticipated. The streets were kept pretty clean as well. A few more photos in the Gallery. Next post will likely be from Grenada.

Today is the first day of Carnival in Salvador. The preparations for the five day craziness have been in effect all week. Cleaning of the streets, endless rows of portable toilets, different bands dressed up and practicing their music and dancing, drumming until 3am. Lots of police presence as the city shuts down for the loud and flashy party.
For tonight, Helmut has booked us a private section at a restaurant where we will be able to watch the parades. All the valuables are to stay on the boat.
Most of the Warc boats still in Salvador plan to leave the city tomorrow, Danica included. We will head straight to Grenada to do some maintenance work before joining the rest of the fleet in St. Lucia for Easter. This passage will take about three weeks. I am posting this blog on borrowed internet. My data has ran out and everything is closed today. Hope to post some sights from the parades tonight in the Gallery.