Thanks to our daughter Francesca (13 years old) for the translation

MY ATLANTIC OCEAN - Pinuccio's reflections, dedicated to Doni, during the oceanic crossing edit on the sea magazine "Bolina" n° 133 june 1997 at page 83

13th april / 5th may 1992 (21 days 6 hours 50 minutes)

One day me  and my wife Doni decided to "make a stroll" on a sailing boat in Caribbeanses, so in the january 1992 we went to Martinica and we embark on "Isola Bianca II" the Angelo Preden's wonderful cutter, in steel.

Angelo some day before the end of our beautiful trip persuaded me to come back to Caribbeanses in april, this time for make the atlantic ocean crossing and arrive to Faial,   a green island in Azores. 

Superfluous say that he didn't worked hard to convince me; even tough he told me all difficulty of this trip and he explained me that those trip wasn't going to be simple.

My agreement was motivated: both i love sea and  I needed to escape from the daily routine.

I also felt that i had to proof something to myself , not phisycal, but for change point of wiev and see wich are main points of life: everyone  has a main goal in his life... wich was the mine?

So the 13th april i was onother time in Martinica on-board of Isola Bianca II, where more than see Angelo, i knew the other crew members: Emilio , 63 years old from Ferrara, worked as doctor; Paolo, 59 years old from Firenze, ex taxidriver; Piero 37 years old from Bassano del Grappa, poetry-farmer-traveller-sailor....; and last but not least me, Pinuccio 33 years old , baker in Milan and pizza maker onboard.

Every singol shipmate were wonderful not just as sailor but also as friend; and i won't never finish to thanks everyone for been togheter in difficult moments that we lived in 21 days before seen the first island.

Omitting sailing details (that's not a diary) let's come to the point.

The 21th april we were far away from every land and suddently on our course we met something that before i've just read on books or saw in tv , confortably seated on my couch.

a "Tropical Storme" was trasforming in an Hurricane and from Caribbeanses was going to United Stetes coast, and it crush us making us understand how we are impotent in front of the nature.

We’re forced  to stop the navigation and Angelo, the skipper, decided to fasten the rudder and putting the boat “without sails” for 24 hours, because the wind blow at 50 knots and waves were 10 metres high.

In these moments you can understand how strong is the sea and, if you can take it as friend, how can it help you to reflect.

You mustn’t hate it, also if the first thing that you think is “why i am  here?” .

You mustn’t hate it, also ‘cause after a little bit of time (when you’ll be at home) you will miss the Sea.

After all you have always loved the sea and you’ ll continue to love if also you in this moment you understand that it’s trying to abduct you, he’s trying to take your hand and taking you down in the abyss.

But after this toughts you begin to probe about your past life and (we hope) future life, that will continue when you will be at home.

How many mistakes, errors that you would like to delete…

You notice that probably you have not loved in the right way who’s near you for a lot of years, that you didn’t gave her everything that you can give her, that you have a lot of love to offer and you feel imptent because you are afraid: maybe “she” doesn’t know and maybe she’s not going to know it…

Little creature surrounded by the Ocean , you understand that you have just one main point in your life: your family.

Are your wife Doni and your son Matteo going to know that you love them in this madly way?

You have to fight for come back, for tell them everything that you have inside.

That’s the positive side of this experience: the Sea made you mature, now you are a man that can really love, more intensive, because you notice that the others need you, and you need them so badly for live togheter this wonderful adventure that is LIFE.

Thanks Ocean, thanks Angelo, thanks friends.

One year later born Francesca…the Ocean served for this too!

Pinuccio G.

pinuccioedoni@pinuccioedoni.it

Visit the Homepage of the Skipper Angelo Preden

My friends with Doni and Matteo before...

Reflections!!!

My friends after...