My First Night Passage

We are always, after all, traveling through the night, our ever-spinning world eternally half shadowed in space.

Story by Jennifer Silva Redmond

Author of Honeymoon at Sea: How I Found Myself Living on a Small Boat

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That afternoon, we took turns at the helm as usual, but I was constantly aware that I’d be alone at the tiller that night. We decided on a rotation of four-hour watches from dusk to dawn. And I reviewed how to mark our speed and advance our running position on the chart. Russel wouldn’t be far away while he slept, but I was determined to get through my solo shift without assistance.