Day 3
We awoke to a beautiful sunrise, though slightly obscured by clouds and obvious storms. The palette that morning made for some great shots and we enjoyed our morning coffee and breakfast consisting of a great meal cooked by myself, before being forced inside for a quick squall that came over top of us. Prior to the rain the wind whipped up around 20-25kts and we got to see the advantage of anchoring in this area as the wind was the only thing we got.
Our morning squall
After the wind and the rain that followed we headed for shore to do some more exploring. It wasn't long before a bird not only found us but proceeded to follow our every move, even coming along the beach as we went to the other side. At one point I thought he was going to step up on Jessica's hand and I watched in awe as he nibbled on Colby's toe before retreating to his almost non existent 2ft personal space. The kids named him Fischer and for the afternoon he was another member of our family.
After another afternoon squall came through we met up with Tom and decided to do a little exploring on the dinghy and check out the inside of Mooney Harbor.
As we were motoring along searching for dinner (lobster holes) we saw something on the beach that caught our eye and went up to take a closer look. What we found was a recently occupied cuban raft that had not been marked by the USCG. I looked around carefully and yelled into the brush "Hola, ¡Bienvenidos a los Estados Unidos de América!" or "Welcome to America" hoping we could be the first to welcome the political refugees. For those that don't know Cubans that make it to America and set even one foot on American soil are safe. They are as American as apple pie and won't be sent back to Cuba. They build rafts/boats out of any and everything they can source, with ingenuity unmatched by any I've seen.
Many have died trying to reach the shores of America and the freedoms we enjoy. They risk their lives for a taste and have absolute nerves of steel to head into the nasty waters they must cross in boats such as the one below. This boat was constructed of tarps and foam insulation, an old engine, fuel system and a prayer got them here. After risking all that they got lucky landing on the pure remote beaches of Marquesas. When they arrive the USCG puts stickers and marks them as discovered, this one however was untouched. I grabbed the VHF and radioed the Coast Guard to notify them of the raft so they could arrange safe passage and a meal for the survivors.
The evening was spent sitting on the deck of the boat watching the sunset while eating dinner and counting the stars as they popped into view. That night in the Marquesas as I laid on the boat looking up into the clear sky, stunned by the amount of stars, I felt almost as if I was hypnotized and put into a relaxed euphoria. I woke up later in the cockpit and finally retreated to my bunk for the remainder of the night, falling asleep again going over plans of the next days sail in my head. Tomorrow crossing to Dry Tortugas.
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