Southern Cross

1/12

2:57 am

Woke up before the 3am alarm. Glasses on, stumbled upon deck. Find Sagittarius, and Scorpio-old friends of mine. The clouds clear-to the lower right a reason to “remember just why I cam this way…The Southern Cross!”

Written by Crosby Still Nash Young, my favorite version comes from the Mayor of Margarittaville:

Got out of town on a boat for the Southern Islands

Sailing to reach before a following sea

She was makin' for the Trades on the outside

And the downhill run to Papeete
Off the wind on this heading lie the Marquesas

We got eighty feet of waterline, nicely making way

In a noisy bar in Avalon I tried to call you

But on a midnight watch I realized why twice you ran away
Think about how many times I have fallen

Spirits are using me, larger voices callin'

What heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten

I have been around the world looking for that woman girl
Who knows love can endure

And you know it will

And you know it will
When you see the Southern Cross for the first time

You understand now why you came this way

‘Cause the truth you might be runnin' from is so small

But it's as big as the promise, the promise of a coming day
So I'm sailing for tomorrow, my dreams are a dyin'

And my love is an anchor tied to you, tied with a silver chain

I have my ship and all her flags are a flyin'

She is all I have left and music is her name
Think about how many times I have fallen

Spirits are using me, larger voices callin'

What heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten

I have been around the world lookin' for that woman girl
Who knows love can endure

And you know it will

lAnd you know it will
So we cheated and we lied and we tested

And we never failed to fail, it was the easiest thing to do

You will survive being bested, somebody fine will come along

Make me forget about loving you and the Southern Cross

Later that day:

Left Union for Mayeau and Salt Whistle Bay. I stay on the foredeck long enough to get into some real water and sing the ode to the constellation I had witnessed a few hours before. The wind was blowing and the waves were rocking against the hull meaning only the Ocean heard my song. The cross was fun, with lots of man over board drills. Made it Salt Whistle Bay and went swimming. I ended up swimming from the boat to the shore and back, loaded up after passing my 103 test and hiked into town. Went into a Rastafarian bar owned by a named Robert Righteous. He hung out with our crew and an English couple for an hour before making dinner (so we were starving by the time the food came.) I slipped out during the conversation to run up to a church and shoot the stars. One got a real idea of how small we are looking at the vast blue sea under stars from atop the hill. After we finally finished our food, margaritas (way too much tequila, but in a good way) rum punches and beer we made our way back to Andato. Owen and I ferried the others back and then hit the beach again, achieving my favorite shot of the trip: