We have completed the first week of our trip to The Marquesas and have sailed 1300 miles. At the start of the trip I think we both had a huge range of emotions and not all of them positive. Are we really up for this trip, are we nuts, is the boat ready and on and on and on.

We have actually been preparing for this particular trip since last May 2012. We left Always Saturday in Panama and went home to rent the house, store all the treasures, get our affairs in order so to speak, Ron needed a checkup and returned to Panama the beginning of September. We had come to the conclusion that trying to sail six months and be home for six months just wasn't worth the work it really took. If we were going to do "the big trip" then it would be necessary to live on the boat full time just to bring her up to a level of maintenance that we could feel comfortable with and know that we would also be safe. A three-week trip is a long time at sea as well as cruising The French Polynesian Islands and having to deal with unnecessary breakdowns just complicates things. Ordering spare parts was very time consuming and Ron and I spent a lot of time thinking about what we might need. It's not like cruising in the Caribbean where they have lots of boat services. We ARE the boat services!

We have had a wonderful first week. We have sailed the entire trip so far, no motor sailing because we have been patient picking a weather window that has been favorable for our first week. I guess we were lucky as well. We are able to download weather information on our SSB radio, which we get daily. This has helped us decide our route while we are underway and so far we have been right on. We have chosen to go more south then west in the beginning of the trip to pick up the trade winds sooner. We have made a good choice even though we have added an extra day to the trip. Hopefully we will make it up with speed. On Wednesday we did 229 miles in a twenty-four hour period. We were flying.

This next week, since we have our sea legs, we will try our hand at fishing. We are getting into the rhythm of being at sea and many of the chores have become easier. Our menu is adjusted accordingly for sea conditions because I don't want to spend extra time in the galley while the boat is being tossed around including the cook.

We have enjoyed the audio books and during the night watches they are especially helpful. The time goes by quickly when I am into a good Wilbur Smith book. We are reminded often that we have to depend on our good choices to remain safe at sea. We are truly out here by ourselves and have to rely on our own wits for sure. So far so good and the miles just keep going by.

The Crew On Always Saturday