The year legends were born - 1979!
A blog post by Liz Wardley
All photos ©The Maiden Factor/Amalia Infante
Location 17*17.992N // 66*20.491W 35nm South of Puerto Rico
Boat Speed: 6 – 7knots
Wind Speed 13 – 16knots from 102*T (exactly where we need to go)
930nm from the exit of the Panama Canal
260 nm to Antigua
4221nm since our departure in San Diego
So it would seem that 1979 was a good year to be born, and sailing across the Caribbean Sea on my birthday on the good ship Maiden is very fitting, as she was launched in 1979 as well.
So today Maiden and I were both celebrating 40 years on this planet! Its been a long day having to celebrate this across 2 hemispheres of family and friends and I can assure you Maiden has worked a lot harder than I have today as she continues to sail us safely towards Antigua.
The crew on the boat have made me feel quite special, despite my grumblings that ‘I don’t do birthdays’! We’ve had party games, gifts, birthday cakes, songs… and the best thing is they even finally let me eat some freeze-dried food – YES!!!! I had been missing it.
So, it’s been 3635nm and 27days since I wrote my last blog, I would have to write an entire book to give everything justice that has happened along the way. The opportunity to go through the Panama Canal was absolutely amazing, I was in awe of the whole operation from start to finish and we had the coolest pilot who never tired of our random questions.
We then poked our nose into the Atlantic, a big moment for Maiden and her crew to enter back into the Ocean they left nearly a year ago, and started our upwind slog towards the Caribbean. And here we are 7 days later and still slogging upwind with a couple more to go. By the time we get to Antigua, it will be the best part of a month since San Diego and credit to the amazing crew of Maiden as she hasn’t given us much grief on our passage, the crew are as cheerful today as the day we set off and makes for great company. So thank you to the crew of Maiden, Belle, Amalia, Courtney, Erica, Hadley, Julia, Cary and of course Betty) for making me feel so welcome on your vessel and for making the start of mine (and Maiden's!) 40’s a memorable one.
All photos ©The Maiden Factor/Amalia Infante
