Yesterday just before dusk we caught a huge mahi mahi, can’t wait to show you all the photos! When we left the UK we had a high quality rod and reel which was stolen in a Coruna. Since then we’ve bought 2 more reels which have both failed during the trip. Out comes a hand line with 2mm line on it and 20 minutes later we land the biggest fish I’ve ever seen personally!
Back to the more mundane bits… the weather has settled and we have stable weather until Saturday if the forecast is to be believed. We have some chafe issues which are monitored, chafe is certainly a big thing for all yachts at sea for a long time. We hear on the radio of other yachts with broken forestays, damaged rudder through impact (whales?) so must be vigilant, getting to Rodney bay safely is the main thing. The YB tracker which you can see through the web is giving us an eta of Wednesday lunchtime which is local time. If the conditions remain as they are it could mean 14 days or very slightly under.
I’m sure I can smell the rum!
Nicks Bit
Spectacular night sails over the past few days with a generally clear sky and late rising of the moon we have had billions of stars lighting our way as we scoot along with the barn doors open at 6 to 7 knts. Really great fun helming in such conditions doing single handed watches with the ear buds and the ipod turned up listening to Pink Floyd, the Stones, Bowie and many others. As the night progresses and the moon rises behind us its like having a car with full head lights on following us along a country lane.
The temperature is really warm now and even at night we have been sailing mostly in just shirt and shorts. The heat that is in some of the winds is what I would expect on land on a hot day. At the half way stage we all had a paddle off the back of the boat, we were going too fast to take a swim (or were we just scared of the sharks!!. The water was really warm and not at all like swimming in the Atlantic off the north Cornwall coast, is it really the same ocean?
Our provisioning seems to have worked out well so far with really good meals and no shortages. We do seem to have a surplus of loo rolls and peanuts not to mention tinned tomatoes. Does anyone recognise a common theme here with the provisioning on Sea Spine? I must report that the skipper has now contributed to the cooking by opening a tin or two. I suspect that this will be the full extent of his culinary exploits on this trip.
yachtsilhouette.com 