Position: 13°13.4’S 125°51.3’W Course: 248° Speed: 6.2 knots
Some days start quietly. Others begin with a birthday and a surprise under the benches.
At 4am, as Michael stepped onto deck for his watch, the lights came on — literally. Hidden beneath the benches on the aft, soft fairy lights lit up the space, accompanied by sleepy but sincere birthday songs from the crew. A gentle, festive start to what turned into a golden Sunday at sea.
The sun stayed with us all day, bathing the deck in warmth and lighting up the Pacific in all directions. After lunch, Jasmijn served a beautiful birthday cake, the kind that makes you pause for a moment of grateful silence before diving in.
In the afternoon, the wind picked up and we hoisted sail again. The sailing since has been smooth and shifting — not fast, but perfect for the kind of quiet joy that comes from moving with the ocean. This is the wind I love most: calm enough to feel part of the water, steady enough to make way.
As we toasted the birthday with our traditional Sunday beer on the aft deck, we added a celebratory drink to mark the occasion — and one glass to Neptune, and to the sailors who no longer sail beside us.
Today was also World Ocean Day. A day to honour the seas we sail, the creatures we meet, and the global currents that shape our lives. As members of IAATO, we’re reminded daily that this vast blue world is not ours to conquer, but to protect.
Picture of the day? A surprised and smiling Michael, cake in hand, wearing a freshly knit woollen hat made onboard from Icelandic wool (by me – Jet).
All is well on board,
Jet
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