Well, the night before Day 10 felt almost painfully slow… and waking up to charts that still showed us closer to where we started than where we’re headed didn’t exactly lift my spirits at sunrise.

But the morning quickly turned things around. We shook out one of the reefs in the main and, a bit later, carefully tested our repair on the Code 0—very carefully at first! And what can we say? So far, it’s holding up beautifully. Soon we were gliding along at 8–9 knots, and even better, in the right direction! Paired with some warm banana bread, it was exactly the boost our morale needed.

Then something exciting happened: we saw a ship! First on AIS, and then in real life—the first one since leaving Isabela!

The afternoon passed with us flying along, playing games, and simply enjoying the gift of time. I can’t say it often enough: what a privilege it is to truly have time—to listen to my kids’ thoughts and ideas, to have long conversations, and to not constantly be preparing mentally for the next task of the day.

Of course, life on the boat still brings its share of chores—adjusting sails, cooking, cleaning up the saltwater that sneaks into the cockpit—but often enough, these precious moments remain uninterrupted. And I find myself just sitting there, in awe of these little personalities, still discovering new stories from their kindergarten days I’d never heard before. Like the time they dug a hole under the fence, escaped into the neighboring garden, and were promptly chased back by dogs—proper little escape artists! I would’ve paid good money to see a bunch of 4–5-year-olds sprinting back with equal parts victory and “we may have miscalculated.”-look on their faces!

Miraculously, the boys haven’t complained once about our situation. That alone has been a powerful reminder not to let my own mood get the better of me.

And soon—very soon, likely by tonight—we’ll have covered half the distance we need to sail. From there, it’s a downhill run! This journey is demanding, no doubt—but that will only make our arrival all the more magical.