We sailed along with Soul Divers stopping at several unpopulated anchorages.   We enjoyed a couple of beaches and few quiet inlets.

We had some beautiful, long sails.  Soul Divers deployed their spinnaker sail as the wind was calm and just right.  It was a thing of beauty.

Echoes had her best sail of the trip so far on the way to Current Cut.  She had a bone in her teeth and slid over the water like it was ice.  She flew so fast that we had to purposefully slow her down so we could go through Current Cut at slack tide.

 

As we approached Current Cut the kraken stirred in waiting.  I saw a tentacled arm reach out for Echoes as he kicked his other seven legs with the current against our way.  But the weather was much calmer than on our maiden trip through the cut and Echoes has proven herself tenacious.  She drove right through the krakens’ churning breeding ground with her mast held high.

 

We set anchor outside the cut and settled in for the night.  It was a long, hot day and I was considering a swim and a transom shower.  Captain Theycanlookatmybuttiftheywantto takes all his showers off the back of the boat but I am a little more finicky and don’t like a possible audience while I shower.  Some extra water usage is worth it to me.  Captian Nevertiresofgivingdirection was encouraging me to see the transom shower light.  Let me show you how to do it, he said.  Believe it or not, I replied, Even with my squirrel sized brain, I already know how to bathe.  First…, he demonstrated ignoring me, you soap up your head.  Then, you move to your torso.  I interjected, I don’t start with my head because soap gets in my eyes….the legs, he was still talking over me and demonstrating and rubbing his stinging eyes.  Then you move on to, and here I will leave out the rest of the lecture.  Then, he said at last, you jump in for the sea water rinse before the fresh water rinse.  Splash!  And then, Ooouuch!  Or perhaps it was a more sailorly exclamation.  He was stung by Jezebel the jellyfish all the way up his arm and onto his shoulder.  Captain Countinghisluckystars was grateful the sting was not located somewhere more personal.

Needless to say, I did not take a transom shower that night.  The Jezebel sting stuck around to burn and then itch for days and days.

It has left a bit of a scar.   Captain Brightside said, Well, at least we got some use out of our $300.00 first aid medical kit.  Shhhh,  don’t tell him vinegar works just as well as the jelly sting ointment.

 

Soul Divers was continuing on to sail the Ababcos and Captain PoutyMcPoutFace and I were heading slowly back to the states via the Berry Islands.  We had buddy boated with Soul Divers for a month and so enjoyed their companionship.  Matt is a retired Major in the Air Force and a licensed Captain which is an admirable and difficult accomplishment as well.  I will miss his sailing expertise, passion for anything on or underwater and his fantastic sense of humor.  I will miss Sadie’s generosity in all things material and of the heart, her quiet capability and her glorious food.  At the Royal Island anchorage they had us over for a princess worthy bon voyage meal of homemade pizza (including from scratch pizza dough) and avocado salad, mouth wateringly scrumptious.

My heart ached when we woke up the next day and they had left already.  Baby dolphins jumped in the space where Soul Divers had vacated.  Fair winds and following seas, Soul Divers.