Windleblo - Day Twenty One

Seventy-five miles to go.

Tonight's dinner, a mélange of sweet potato, raw peanuts, and tofu in a thick garlic, ginger, curry sauce, was assembled by John Hoopes, now called Hans by his Austrian shipmate. Around the cockpit table, you could sense the anticipation of landfall.

Someone posed a simple question, "What's the first thing you are going to do once we hit land?"

The answers were equally simple.

"Give my wife a hug."

"Go for a cold beer."

"Take a long walk."

And, jokingly, "Polish the boat."

Not spoken, but hidden just beneath the answers were the emotions held by each crewman. Among them are

Gratitude to the Almighty for a safe deliverance;

Pride at having completed such a significant accomplishment;

Admiration for my fellow shipmates for their strength and endurance;

Sadness at reaching the conclusion of an enjoyable pursuit, and

Gladness for the chance to be reunited with loved ones and for the celebrations ahead.

Joules has taken to the habit of using the ship's VHF intercom to address the crew. It's kinda funny. When he calls from the cockpit command mike, his voice will boom from the speakers below decks, "One gin and tonic, please." Or, "shuffleboard will begin at 2 p.m."

Tonight, we await the call on the intercom, "Land Ho!"

Just like the simple question, these words will bring a rush of thoughts and emotions to mind. They will mean the end of an epic voyage and the beginning of a well-deserved celebration is very near.