Leaving Parati

The sea is awash with roses O they blow

Upon the land

 

The still hills fill with their scent

O the hills flow on their sweetness

As on God’s hand

O love, it is so little we know of pleasure

Pleasure that lasts as the snow

 

But the sea is awash with roses O they blow

Upon the land

 

By Kenneth Patchen

Early this morning near Angra dos Reis

We got out of Parati- on Thursday May 21- motored to Saco da Velhas, where we had anchored before to take a breath and prepare for the voyage. Every time it seems impossible to leave and separate from friends and places. Then we depart and are on the ocean again- but the longing remains for the distant shores…But Brazil has been a fantastic adventure so far, so many extraordinary individuals have passed thru the Heraclitus since we arrived- I will try and write those stories when we are at sea...

We scraped the hull in 2 days and are almost 2 knots faster. What growth- a layer of barnacles almost a cm thick- the waters here must be full of nutrients. As if you parked your car and grass would grow on your tires after a day…

And now it’s getting to know each other all over again and becoming a crew- half Brazilian, 2 US Americans, a Solomon Islander, a Canadian and 2 Germans- we will be quite an ensemble arriving in Salvador...

This morning... we raised anchor at 0530 heading for Angra dos Reis, to fuel up and get early enough to the market for fresh food- half a ton of food for 12 people for 4 weeks....

We are now waiting for a cold front for a ride pass Cabo Frio- there are strong counter currents so the ship at least needs good winds to move ahead. We are going to stop in Abrolhos- a group of coral islands off this beautiful coast- hoping to catch the whales there---and dive again, fishing...