Departure

Departures are always bitter sweet. All the feelings of excitement and anticipation of new adventures contend with those of sadness and uncertainty over leaving the familiar behind. Today was no different. We set out from Cathedral Bluffs Yacht Club on May 26, 2011 where we had spent the last couple of days before departure. With a little help from some friends we made final improvements to the boat and provisioned for the first leg of our passage. I couldnʼt help but cry when we hugged Michelle, Randy and Brittany goodbye, then watched them grow smaller as we pulled away, leaving the foggy docs behind. It has now been 12h since we left Toronto and so far Rodeo is getting along beautifully. Gabe had to wrestle with the autopilot for a bit, but otherwise it has been a day of leisurely activities. We started off with a wine and cheese tasting, followed by some fishing, then reading. Then back to wine tasting accompanied by a simple supper. Finally a few games of "Black Jack" to complete the evening, followed by another round of wine tasting. Not altogether bad. Finally, just after midnight, we rolled through a small storm and Rodeo lived up to her name, taking us on a bit of a ride. Our transient crew members, Papa and Fernando, however, had no trouble snoring in between their night watch shifts.