Mexico to the Marquesas: Day 1 of surprises

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Volpaia Time: 20:15
Zulu Time: 14:15
21 46.86N
110 38.04W

Speed: 9.2 knots
Wind: 18 knots 265M
Course: 210 T
Crew: Alix on deck, Liz making tea, Colby sleeping, Brett making dinner, Cyrus getting off watch, Shay helming.

Comments:
We were finally able to depart Cabo San Lucas today and set sail for our 3,000 mile, 20 day long passage, to the Marquesas. After many unforseen delays, leaving was bitter sweet as Volpaia sailed out of port without her 1st Mate, Brooke, she having sustained an injury that prevented her from making the journey. With her replacement onboard to compliment the already arrived delivery crew, along with hundreds of pounds fresh provisions, a brand new mainsail, 1500 liters of deisel fuel and the countless other supplies and preparations that accompany an undertaking such as this, we set sail with a weather report showing clear skies and a light northerly breeze of about 10-12 knts. With Volpaia's course needing to be to the southwest to reach the distant, lush green islands of the Marquesas, this forecast would mean a very leisurely down wind sail with hardly enough wind to keep the sails full. We wondered and even hoped, as we rounded the rocky headland that marks the southern tip of the Baja peninsula, that we might find more of a breeze to help us along our way. This was also accentuated by the fact the we can only carry enough fuel aboard to get us half way to our destination. Indeed a nice fresh wind at the beginning of our journey would help to ease our minds. So it were these concerns that occupied our thoughts as we left Cabo, along with a final elation for being at sea once again and leaving the bustling form of human civilization called "Cabo" far behind us.

As the ocean is well known to keep you on your toes with often unpredictable and even moody behavior, we soon found ourselves smashing through 6 ft choppy seas and the 30 knt wind that accompanied them, straight out of the west, which was incidentally very close to where we were trying to go. The crew and Volpaia, having been prepared for a leisurely downwind sail were completely unprepared for an upwind slog. For those of you that are unfamiliar with sailing, this would be the equivalent of running out the front door of your house with nothing but a bathing suit and a bottle of sunscreen, and then suddenly finding yourself in the middle of a hail storm. As the packets of saltwater made their way across the now heaving deck, hatches were battened, fenders that were left out to dry in the sun from being at dock were quickly deflated and stowed below, the dinghy's extra storm lashings were employed, the mainsail was reefed, the headsail was reefed, the mainsail was reefed again as we continued to be overloaded in the choppy seas, precious fruit hanging in the bulging hammocks took flight and smashed on the walls, and cabinet doors and draweres that hadn't seen anything other than a 10 degree angle flew open on our now 30 degree heel. There was no easing this fresh crew into sea going life. The Pacific decided she needed to shake the cobwebs out of our land lubbered heads and remind us she was not to be taken lightly, even if we were only an hour from port and still 2,998 miles from our destination.

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