Climate change

We got our best sweaters on and decided to combat the cold winds in order to get out exploring the beautiful islands outside Boston before these waters turn to ice. The ruggedness of the weather beaten islets has a similar character to the ones in the Swedish and Finnish archipelago, and the environment reminds me of childhood ferry-rides in between those two Scandinavian countries where I have my roots. The temperature, which resembles of the Scandinavian, reminds us also of winter sailing in our previous home city Barcelona from where we left on this long-distance sailing adventure. September climate here in New England seem to be close to December climate back home in the Med. When Alex and I started to date in the winter of 2009, this was the sort of heat, or lack thereof, that we headed out in during those first months of sailing together before we decided to set sail towards warmer latitudes by the equator. (Check out some images of that Spanish winter here if you like. We had known each other for approximately ten days when those photos were taken.)

Funnily enough, when people we've met during these years that we've sailed together, they've often asked what are our plans for the sailing journey, where are we heading? We have always answered that we aren't exactly sure and it doesn't really matter, as long as it isn't too far South or North of the equator as we definitely want to avoid cold weather. It's ironic that we now this close to winter, find ourselves at the top segment of North America, an area of the world that never was on the agenda. Life. Constantly throwing curveballs at you and makes you decide on options and ways that you never intended to take.

To push it even further the other evening, we did not only sail out on a cold afternoon, but we also decided on staying out overnight, despite knowing there's no heater on the boat. As the sun dipped down behind the skyline of the city, the temperatures fell with it and after a basic pasta tomato-sauce kind of dinner, we dug up all sheets and blankets we could possible find onboard. Nervously preparing for a night in frigidity. It got as cold as 10°C/50°F and it wasn't the most exhilarating experience having to wake up at 6.30 am, realizing the next day started out dark and gloomy with heavy rainclouds covering the sky. But there isn't any bad weather, only bad apparel as they say back home in Sweden (it rhymes better when you say it in Swedish btw), so foul weather gear went on and off we went cruising round the outer islands. Trying our best not to complain too much about the waves of chock from the cold penetrating through our bones. Plenty lobster boats motored their way past us and we even spotted a crazy man diving around a rock, hand catching lobsters. Around midday the sky cleared up and as the sun returned, it was actually more than pleasant sailing along with 12 knots of wind. And light as the boat is now, we moved forward at 7-7,5 knots of speed.

Good experience and such a pity the weather doesn't stay like this for much longer. Imagine what a paradise this place of the world would've been if this was the maximum in cold it would get in the winter.