Delta 2 Day 9: Overnight Sail Preparations
written by Delta Program Director, Curtis Crooke
July 24, 2017
Sleeping in has never been so appreciated! We awoke fully rejuvenated from our awesome Bitter End Day and super excited for our overnight passage just around the corner. Following a simple breakfast of bagels and Fruit Loops, we began preparations. We got to work stowing away everything so nothing would fall or break during our upwind sail with lots of heeling and rocking.
Both crews of Rioja and Xeres dropped the ball and docked one at a time at Saba Rock to water up their boats. Great communication and mastery of docking skills led to two successful dockings. The staff members were quite impressed! Once watered, the two boats headed to Leverick’s Bay Marina at the other end of the North Sound to fuel up and discuss navigation and emergency procedures. The two boats once again docked with much ease.
We cooked dinner ahead of time, raised and lashed down our dinghy to our deck, and took a look at the charts to ensure that everybody knew our course to Saint Martin. A couple minutes after 5p.m., we dropped the ball and said goodbye to the BVIs for the next week and a half. We motored out of the North Sound and past Necker Island, ate some pasta and chicken, raised sailed, and headed upwind. The first shift began at 9p.m. as the moon rose and the stars began to fill the sky.