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Arkouda - Day 6 Headed to the Verdes



The decision to head for the Verdes has been finalized. We spent the day motoring yesterday and into this evening--we could have headed south a 100 miles to find better wind, over the ridge of pressure, but we have already added many extra miles in futile search for winds in the right direction. We have sometimes found them, set the sails, only to have the wind shift again. We spoke with a weather router via email today, and he does not see the trades re-estaablishing until about Dec 3. We might as well do some sight seeing, and little shopping. Time to find out the history of these islands!

We are still doing great, and all systems are WORKING! All that hard work in Lanzarote (and in Turkey, and Thailand...) has paid off. I have noticed that nothing really seems to break while we are underway. This boat is happiest when she is doing what she built for. But if we leave for a few months there is always something that pops up. Maybe it is protesting the neglect? We have chafed through our first reefing line, and chafed through our roller furling line, but it was easy to replace. Sean bought spools of line before left, so we are ready to replace anything else that comes up.

We were saddened to hear that one of sailors in the ARC fleet passed away last night due to a suspected heart attack. It once again confirms how tenuous and fragile life is, and how important it is to follow your dreams. My amazing brother in law has fought against overwhelming odds to survive cancer, and has done incredibly well. He wrote as thank you for all of our prayers something to the effect of how every day is a gift, and how we should spend it trying to find a way to help someone better their lives and find a way to make each person we meet feel better about themselves. (This is truly his gift! You cannot have a conversation with him without later like "wow, yes i am special".) This is my interpretation, it is difficult to recall the words exactly without internet, but it was beautiful and made me feel incredibly selfish to spend so much time and energy to sail an ocean. Life is so short, and our mom's are alone, my dog is old, yet here I am following a dream.

Yet I think about the village in Blue Lagoon in Tonga, and how thrilled they were dozens of reading glasses and batteries. This village only had one generator, and it was lights out at 8:00. Their children attend school on another island, and are away from home for months at a time. They return in seas over great distances in tiny little boats. Did we have a positive impact on their life? I don't know. Our gifts were so small in comparison to the hospitality they showed us, and gifts of handicrafts they labored so hard on. We always try to meet and reach out to people as we travel, and to share the good fortunes we have had. Its always little things, but it seems that the more we give the more we receive. I would love to somehow be able to share our talents in remote areas. If we could figure how to sail and help those with dental needs in areas without access to care I would feel a lot less guilt!

There was a kid we met in Lanzarote who was looking for a ride to Brazil. He was sleeping on the beach and had no access to showers or restrooms. Sean gave him Brady's key the showers, and told him tell security that he was Arkouda crew. We probably would have taken him if he was not insistent on Brazil. We later learned that he had ridden his bicycle from Switzerland, had his bags stolen in France, managed to get a ride with a boat from Spain to Lanzarote. He is working on some project in which he could not take any public transportation. The day he asked us for a ride he had a small duffel and box of cereal. He was incredibly grateful for the keys for the shower, and he used them everyday during our stay. He did not, however, ever ask if he help at washing the boat or working on some project. He did not smile, he did not seem to try to help others. I am sure that he was disillusioned from his experience in Paris, but sometimes I wonder if the universe does not give you back what you put out. You get what you give?

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of our fellow sailor. I am sure he had life well lived!

All is well on Arkouda.

Cynthia

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