Where In the World is Amara?

Have you checked out our "Where In the World" page on our blog?  If you haven't, click on the big blue map (right under the picture of Martin and me) in the right-hand navigation bar on our home page.  Once you click, it will pull up a page with a real-time map showing the exact location of where Amara is at any given time of the day.  It will even show you Amara's speed if you mouse over the little sailboat icon on the map.  It's a pretty cool gadget and I have been loving it.  I know where Amara (namely, Martin) is 24/7.  For some reason it really helps to calm me knowing her location.  I can't help myself from checking this page about 5 times a day.

If you have already been following this page, you would have probably noticed that for awhile there, it looked like Amara was headed straight for Brazil and she was going to pass up the Caribbean altogether.  However, at the halfway point with 1400 miles behind them and 1400 more miles to go, they were able to finally turn Amara towards the Caribbean and are now headed straight toward St. Martin.

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Halfway down, halfway to go!

It is tradition that once sailors get to the halfway point, there is a ritual that they jump in the water and go for a swim to celebrate.  So in true sailor's spirit, Martin and Garry jumped in to celebrate this huge milestone!

The water was a warm 80 degrees and Amara was a 1000 miles from land in every direction.  Since there was a slight wind that was moving Amara along (even with the sails down), Martin and Garry jumped in with a 75 foot line.  That way they could hold on to it if they thought Amara was getting too far away from them.  It also helped to give Garry a good distance between him and Amara, making for a great photo of her!  

What a view!

Patrice helping to pull Garry back into the boat.

We are hoping that the second half of the trip will go a little faster because now they are traveling in a straight line—whereas before they were having to cut up and down with the wind in their face the whole time.  Now the wind is behind them and should push them along making the trip go a little easier (fingers crossed!).

The countdown for Lily and me is starting to dwindle.  We will be in St. Martin in exactly one week.  Hopefully, Amara will arrive the following day.  If not, it looks like Lily and I will have a little mini vacation while waiting for her arrival.  Regardless of when they arrive, we will be eagerly waiting at the dock at Simpson Bay to welcome them with open arms.  We can't wait.