After a full 24 hours of motor-sailing, we have arrived in Bahia Tortuga. In fact, nearly all the movement we’ve made since leaving San Diego has been thanks to our trusty engine. It’s extremely frustrating that we have the capability to sail and it feels like are wasting fuel, but there just hasn’t been any wind. Normally we would wait for good wind, but someone (definitely me) insists on attending Christmas in Kansas. So, we are pushing the pace. And some days, that leads to certain people (Craig and me) getting cranky. If you don’t know Casey, you should know that she is very positive. I assume it is because she’s from California and grew up with consistently excessive levels of vitamin D, but it could also be all the yoga.
Having an alarm go off at 6am, much earlier than expected, doesn’t help. Then, when you find an engine room filled with smoke as the cause of the alarm, it is even more upsetting. Then, when you find out that the smoke isn’t because the fridge compressor sucked up a fish like you initially thought, but it is because there is freon leaking from a large hole in a copper pipe in the refrigeration system, it sets your morning into motion in a real way. Currently, Rescue Tape, Gorilla Tape, spare freon, and luck are keeping this fridge cold.
When we arrived in Bahia Tortuga, Casey commented that the freezer smelled a bit like freon. With that, Craig put himself to bed for a long nap. It was just too much for him. On the other hand, Casey and I… started the party. We played games, went swimming, had some heart to heart conversations, and drank a healthy amount of white wine (like good American women in our 30s) while we soaked up some rays. (You can all calm down – we were wearing sun screen.)
Once we decided Craig was done with his nap, we opened the hatch above the bed, peeked in, and told him he had 3 minutes to get his swimsuit on and meet us on deck. In less than 30 seconds, Casey and I had the music playing and the dance party had started on top of the dodger. If you can believe it, Craig was rather cantankerous when he came outside. “You know you’re living your best life when two chicks in bikinis waking you up from a nap to come swimming in Bahia Tortuga after you were escorted into the bay by dolphins illuminated by bioluminescence is the worst part of day,” Casey noted. His mood improved drastically with the reality check. Once his brain was fully awake he asked, “So can you tell me more about this conversation you had about pubes?”
And with that, the party was officially in full effect. Thanksgiving 2017 is one for the record books. We made an entire feast that consisted exclusively of side dishes and we really knocked it out of the park. I mean, seriously crushed it. The only thing that would’ve made it better would’ve been a fleet of boats carrying loved ones to join us. Hopefully you and yours had a wonderful holiday. Here aboard Small World we find ourselves grateful, thankful, and lucky.
Small World Big Dream 
dear kraigle ~ oh good… thanksgiving was a success!! but i’m wondering about the refrigeration system – there needs to be a happy ending to that part of the story. otherwise, “living the dream” will become all about how to survive an involuntary starvation diet!
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