Out of Sight of Land

My watch is over. For the past few hours, I have steered the boat north using the North Star as my guide. The moon in its last quarter has just risen over my right shoulder. It was close to full as we sailed away from the Virgin Islands over five days ago, and it will be just a sliver as we near Bermuda. Then it will fill again as the five of us sail the remaining distance to the northern coast of Maine, 700 nautical miles away, out of sight of land, through days and nights alone on the Atlantic Ocean.