And we’re off! Well, tomorrow that is. That is our plan. We leave early tomorrow morning to cross the Pacific Ocean. That doesn’t sound scary at all! We had thought we might leave mid-week last week, but the weather didn’t cooperate-too much squall activity in the Gulf of Panama (I don’t think anyone has changed the name of that one-yet) and off the Pacific coast of Colombia. So now the plan is tomorrow, February 3rd. And I think we’re ready. We did our provisioning run for fresh produce yesterday, had a last dinner out last night, and whipped up some waffles for breakfast this morning (does one need to carb load before a passage? I say “YES!). We also managed to make enough waffles to freeze for passage breakfasts. And yes, they have chocolate chips in them-don’t judge me.
As we’ve said, we expect the passage to take about 4 weeks. We should still be in communication with land, thanks to Starlink. Starlink has revolutionized cruising, providing solid internet service across oceans. We actually have two Starlink dishes now, so if one fails, we have a backup. We also have an Iridium GO! satellite unit as a backup to our backup. So, our PredictWind Tracker will work, showing our real-time location. In addition, Kim has plans for a daily Instagram/Facebook update with interesting stats during the passage, so be on the lookout for those.
In case you are searching for yet more riveting Meraviglia content, we’ll be featured on another podcast this week. If you missed it, Kim was featured on the “Morning Muster” podcast back in November in an episode titled “Oops, My Boat’s Too Big!” Well, we’re at it again. This time both of us will be the feature of an episode of “The Liveaboard Sailing Podcast” where we discuss dealing with owning an “old boat”. The host, Anika, lives in France and it was great to talk with her. That episode should drop on Wednesday.
And THEN, in answer to all of your hopes and prayers, we are launching our very own YouTube Channel, Sailing Meraviglia! The first episode is live now. It’s just a quick introduction to us and our plan to cross the Pacific. We hope to drop an episode every 1-2 weeks. So, give a look/listen, subscribe to the channel, like the episode, and maybe share it with your friends. The early episodes are a little rough as we learn about video production and editing-hopefully you can bear with us. I’m not exactly sure what our Sailing YouTube niche is yet. It’s definitely not the “Bikinis and Ripped Pecs” niche. Nor is it the “We Bought a Wreck and Fixed It” vibe. It could have been at the start, but now, not so much. Anyway, check it out, let us know what you think and what you would like to see.
That’s it for now. Next time: From the Pacific! Yikes!
I look forward to continuing to follow your adventures in all their formats!!
SAFE and happy sailing!!!
Ellen
You are so busy no barnacles will grow under your keel!
It seems you’re well prepared – so sending vibes into the universe for protection and
safe sailing, enjoy the beauty!
Safe travels! I’ll be checking your location daily!
Safe journey and via con Dios!
Fair winds, you two!
Safe travels my friends. I’m glad you can stay connected during your journey!
May the winds be steady and calm as you venture to the West.
And my God bless your days forward.
Safe travels and looking forward to continuing to follow your amazing journey!
Safe travels and happy adventuring!!!!