I feel so fortunate to be a crew member on the Oceans of Hope meeting people who are so kind, helpful, and lots of fun. I feel this journey has introduced me to the Danish people and one Belgian! I have spent many hours observing Danish and Belgium ways of living and eating. I have learned that brown bread is a staple breakfast, an apple a day is essential, and canned fish is quite popular. The Danes (the term Danish people use to describe themselves) are very attached to their families and their summer homes. They also share the toothbrush ritual of scrubbing their pearly whites as they stroll around the boat.

As the only American on board, the Danes have been very considerate to speak English to Dirk and me. By some miracle of their school system, they are fluent in English. However, I am picking up a few words and love to hear them speaking Danish to each other. Tuck,Tuck, and more Tucks!

As members of Sailing Sclerosis, we are all owners of this beautiful boat that unites us as MS'ers. Therefore, we occasionally discuss when and how we were diagnosed, symptoms, and which ABC drug we use, if any. However, we really enjoy the company of others in our pursuit of the perfect island with pink sand, amazing fish to eat and view, and WIFI.

One last comment about our capable permanent crew. Mikkel is so full of ideas and passion for his master plan for Sailing Sclerosis. His ability to be very professional, thoughtful and pragmatic with his goals makes him the perfect leader for this ambitious vision. Kristian, our Skipper, is able to fix anything and he knows Oceans of Hope so well. I imagine he would be calm and collected in any crisis. And our Bosun, Bertram, keeps the crew in line and is always reminding us to be safe. However, he needs to work on his boat handling with the new inflatable dinghy. Dirk can testify in that regard, since he found himself under an entire wave of water when we went out for a spin. As an inexperienced crew member, I love how we are taught so many things about the boat including map reading, sail adjustments, and mooring decisions.

Today is a beautiful day. We will swim, visit the island, and head out tonight to Eleuthera. Another night of three hours on and six hours off. We will hope for a clear sky to spend the night watching the stars.

Report from Bosun Bertram:

More's Island was both authentic and beautiful, but the crew of Oceans of Hope is ready for another island. We are moving east toward Eleuthera Island, where we are promised white secluded beaches and reefs with nemo- looking fish. We are departing in about an hour at 13:00 for a twelve hour sail to arrive sometime early next morning, where we will drop the hook and rest to be ready for a full day at the beach. The hammock is packed and the BBQ is prepared, so we should have some good days ahead.

Local time on board is 12:00 and our current position is 26.19'778N 77.35'270W.