A Catholic Man

Good morning my brother.  We are still in Cancun, hoping for the wind to die down so that we can head out to Roatan, Honduras.  This leg of the trip is approximately 300 miles, and unfortunately we will have a beam sea, meaning that the wind will be hitting the boat on our port side, which will cause the boat to rock.  The winds are expected to be 15 to 20 knots with seas 5 to 6 feet for this leg of the trip.  No fun on a 37 foot boat!  As I mentioned in my prior emails to you, after leaving Roatan, we are heading to the island of San Andres, Columbia which is approximately 450 miles from Roatan.

Well after long deliberations the captain has decided to set sail for Roatan, Honduras at around 2:00am, Wednesday morning.   The winds have not let up since arriving in Cancun on Sunday afternoon, and they are expected to increase.  For that reason the captain has determined that this is our window of opportunity to set sail for Roatan.

We spent Sunday. Monday and Tuesday fueling the boat with diesel fuel, topped of the water tank, searched for provisions and made sure all engine parts were in good shape.  We also performed some minor repairs to the generator before we begin our 300 +/- mile trip to Roatan.  I am truly becoming a real first mate, performing duties that I had never done before.  I even did laundry this morning at the marina for myself and my 2 companions.  No, this wasn’t your typical touristy trip to Cancun!

On this trip not only has my faith & prayer life gotten stronger, but I am really beginning to let go and letting God direct the path my life should take.  I can honestly tell you that I truly missed being with my daughters on father’s day.  I thank God for my family, my Emmaus brothers & sisters, and my friends.   I feel blessed.  That doesn’t mean I am not concerned for the safety of the crew and for myself.  It’s just that I try not to focus on the long days and nights at sea.  I’m trying to take this adventure one hour at a time….

As I mentioned we will be departing from Cancun at around 2:00am.   As per my prior emails, the boat we are on is very slow.  We anticipate that it should take us approximately 30 to 35 hours at sea before we reach Roatan.  This should be a grueling trip with seas of 5 to 6 feet expected.  The wind is out of the east at approximately 15 to 20 knots.  Again, on a 37 foot boat!

I don’t know what plans God has in store for me, but I am ready to accept whatever at would be.  I know that there is a life lesson for me to learn on this journey.  I thank God for this opportunity that he had provided me with.  My professional life back home is very unsettled.  But out here I am trying to push the negative thoughts out. 

I am looking forward to crossing the Panama Canal, as it has been a long time goal of mine.  I had hoped that it would have been on my boat, but “se la vie”.  I also look forward to bring back home soon, and to personally sharing my stories with you and the other brothers. Please continue to pray for us as we enter the most grueling,  longest and dangerous part of our trip.

Your brother in Christ, Manny