Yesterday I did my first solo sail, and I feel slammed. Still, after a full day of resting, my body is exhausted. As a beginner, I really don't know how to anticipate sea and wind conditions when going around the dreaded Point Saline. So far, every time I've gone around the southern point of Grenada, it's been hard. You don't know: will I get hit by extra wind? Or no wind? But I do know there's current there that will push you out into open sea. And yesterday, the waves were sloshing around all steeply-like, tossing my boat (and me) like a rag doll. I realized here that I didn't have enough sail up to push through these conditions, but also realized I wasn't about to go up on the foredeck and correct things. Not without a working autopilot.

This is all after I just had a great week with my first visitor from the states, Josh. I knew he'd be a good person to have on board, as we already spent a week on a boat doing ASA sailing lessons in the BVI last year. Also, Josh has a knack for helping people learn on their own. (He basically says, "you do it" and only jumps in if needed.).

During the week with Josh, we clocked over 100 nautical miles, trekking up to Carriacou, and spending a night at Union Island (St Vincent). The return trip to Grenada was fast and rewarding, with dolphins jumping up my bow wave.

I was feeling pretty good about sailing after sailing with him. Now, after my first sail, where I reefed, unreefed, started the motor on multiple occasions to deal with my own lack of sailing prowess, caught the jibsheets up on every tack, dropped the foresail in the water, ran from lightning, and anchored in water too deep in not-my-intended destination, I am feeling a bit defeated. But I knew this wasn't going to be easy. Step one.