September 22, 2013
During our time in the tropics, we stay comfortable at night by keeping our hatches open. Rain is surprisingly infrequent because cruising season coincides with the dry season, but when the rain does come, it generally starts lightly, giving us a gentle wake-up and time to close up the boat before anything gets wet. Occasionally though, we get a downpour that gives us a rude awakening and gets us scrambling to close the ports before things gets soaked.
In spite of the drama, I like downpours. They’re pretty exciting when they’re heavy, and then soothing when they lighten into a steadier rain. And it’s always a plus for the boat to get a freshwater rinse.
This night we had a downpour, then woke up the next morning to rain and gusty winds. As long as we’re in a safe anchorage I enjoy this sort of weather: it’s a signal to take some time out, enjoy a second cup of coffee, make something more elaborate than cereal for breakfast (today it was eggs and fried potatoes), read, and just watch the world outside. When the rain stops, we relish that wonderful earthy after-rain smell. (You can click to enlarge/scroll through the galleries that follow.)
The rain didn’t last very long, but clouds passed over the rest of the day. The changing light made a color show on the water, an ongoing kaleidoscope of glowing teal greens and blues with passing breezes creating silvery highlights.
Later, we had a tropical-rain night sky, the moon mostly obscured but so light we could see the cloud pattern in the dappled gray sky. The night insects were singing, and we had a light trade-wind breeze as Legacy gently rocked from side to side. The whole scene felt wonderful. Sunny days are great, but rainy days can be extra-special. –Cyndi (Below, a brief video of our anchorage during the cloudy afternoon.)
