Green Flash! Great Start!

What a way to begin. We experienced a fabulous green flash on our first night out at sea. Perfectly clear, right down to the horizon and there it was. It accompanied a magnificent sunset. (For those that aren't familiar with a green flash, it sometimes occurs at sunset, right at the horizon just as the sun sets. What is left of the sun, turns a brilliant green. Some say it is a sea myth, but there is an article in Ocean Navigator that explains it all in very scientific terms. I will save you
all from that!) We are taking it as a sign of a great voyage, the talismans we received from Jim & Catherine and Bud & Joan are already working hard.

We sailed all night. Barbara did all the hard work. Michael was off watch, and she had to set the main and deal with a big wind shift(not forecast of course). She hit 7.2k as her personal best, and we averaged around 6k till sunrise when things settled. Overnight was cold and breezy, but the seas were calm and the moon almost full. It stayed out till just before sunrise, which makes the time seem to go a bit faster and makes you feel just a tad safer. Now,1030 local, we are cruising along at
just under 6k with clear skies and still a bit chilly for FL.

We used the electric pilot, Nigel, last night. Just couldn't get the mechanical Hydrovane to perform correctly. I am sure it is operator error and the boat isn't quite balanced yet. We are using the Hydrovane(so far un-named, we need the name of a notorious drunken brit) this morning and it seems to be working better.

There is one big benefit of the cold wx: lots of layers of clothes to protect us from bruises as we get our sea legs.

Looking forward to an early morning arrival in Marathon on Monday and then wait for the best wx window to cross the stream to the Bahamas.

Love saving fossil fuels and boat units($.) Sailing is good. It is also a lot safer with all the stone crab traps around.