Suddenly a Child

As we pulled out of Saint Anne, Martinique, we were set for a brisk 20 knots of wind of the port bow of Iolair.  It was a good travel day and a small fleet of cruisers had the same plan. Several boats were on parallel courses within a couple hundred yards. Kel was on the helm as I trimmed sails. Sometimes you just have a feeling it will be a great day.

About of mile of the coast of Martinique, Kel shouted "Oh my God!" I was trimming sails but this was an urgent, clear tone which startled me since other boats were close by. I turned ready for some problem just as Kel shouted "Whale!" A humpback was upwind of us several hundred yards.  As I looked it spouted spray ten feet into the air. Kel was transformed back to a beautiful five years old, as she described how the whale breached coming halfway out of the water. We saw several more spouts, and the whale rolled on its side and slapped its fluke on the surface. The humpback was almost straight upwind from us, but Kel kept steering toward it - just wanting to see more.  After a few more minutes, the moment was gone and we both grew up. So many moments out here are impossible to capture in pixels. The whale and the sail to Saint Lucia were perfect.