Sailing through the Bermuda Triangle

On our way from Miami, Florida to our first port of call, Roseau Dominica.

Sailing the Mona Passage on our way to the Lesser Antilles

We’ve been sailing for two full days, and as I write, we are passing between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico through the Mona Passage. We sailed near the Milwaukee Deep—perhaps in honor of our home state!—one of the deepest parts of the Sargasso Sea at -27,487 ft. We also sailed through the Bermuda Triangle without incident—although one of the onboard lecturers dispelled the myth of the Bermuda Triangle before our sail-through, so we knew in advance we had nothing to fear. We have another twenty-four hours of sailing before we arrive at our first destination, Roseau, Dominica.

Sunrise on the Atlantic Ocean

Sunrise was at 07:15 this morning, and sunset will be at 18:22, providing about 90 minutes more daylight than in Wisconsin. This morning’s temperature was already a warm 76.8°F at 08:00, with highs expected in the low 80s. Humidity is at 55%, making it feel quite comfortable.

Early Morning Coffee

We started the last two mornings with coffee and muffins in our stateroom. We’ve requested a 6:30 delivery, asking that if we're still sleeping, the server will place it on the table and leave quietly. I was delighted when I woke up the past two mornings, wondering when our coffee would arrive, only to see it already there on the table!

Second Breakfast

After our first cups of coffee and Wordle, Sherpa exercises while I write and do my art. Then we have our “second breakfast”.

Birdwatching from our Veranda

Binoculars are ready for when birds approach the ship. Today lots of brown boobies plus three masked boobies accompanied us as we sailed southwest toward the Lesser Antilles.

Booby, Clouds, Sky

Here’s a booby against the sky and clouds. The last two days have been perfect for watching the ocean and sky. Since the internet is too slow to transfer my photos from my Canon camera to my computer, I’m sharing pictures from my iPhone. Once we arrive in Dominica, I’ll do a photo transfer and hopefully share a few close-up bird photos!

Every day, Sherpa and I play a game called “What color is the ocean?” We choose our Pantone blues to determine the color for the day. Today, Cerulean Blue was the winner. We also picked Ultramarine Blue for January 8th and Neon Blue for January 9th.

How art-geeky is that?!?!

Our First Hand of Beginners Bridge

I know those of you who know me IRL are not surprised to hear that we are birding and writing and doing art and naming the daily colors of the ocean. But how many of you would be surprised to learn that Sherpa and I are taking Beginner Bridge lessons? You and me, both!

We thought sea days would be quiet, but so far we’ve filled our social calendar with lectures on AI Development, The Bermuda Triangle, The History of the Caribbean, and The History of Cricket. (I’ve paid attention to some more than others, but Sherpa enjoys a good lecture.) In addition to Beginning Bridge lessons, we’ve joined a Trivia Team and I’ve signed up for Ukelele lessons.

When we make more frequent landings, these activities might take a backseat, but for the first few days, they've proven to be a great way to meet lots of folks.

Coming up next: Roseau, Dominica.