My watch goes without incident and is peaceful and calm. That also means that by the time I come on watch I am well rested as I have been able to sleep and I sleep well all morning waking up just before noon.
Photo: Mike at the nav table with his cuppa
It’s a lovely day again and sailing is a pleasure when it’s like this. I make no pretence of being anything but a fair weather sailor. As I’ve said before, I enjoy it when the conditions are perfect, can tolerate it when they are slightly less than perfect and endure it the rest of the time when it is just a slow and painful process of getting from A to B. Today is perfect though and we enjoy our lunch outside in the sunshine.
We’ve been lucky so far on this trip. Listening to the comments aboard the other boats on the SSB this morning, most people have still got heavy currents going against them as they are far closer to Madagascar than we are. Going much further south when we set off, whilst not actually a plan but rather where the wind took us the way our sails were set, has worked out very well. We have found no current and been able to sail for all but a couple of hours a day. All the other rally boats are motoring hard; one motored for the full 24 hours yesterday and most motored over 12 hours.
In the afternoon the wind is behind us and so are the waves so we goose wing the genoas out at the front and sail along smoothly.
Our fishing line has been out for two days now with the bitten off lure and I have given up hope of any fish being stupid enough to go for it but suddenly, just before dusk, the line screams out and Mike pulls in a decent sized mahi mahi. He gets it right up into the cockpit where it continues to put up a fight but I’m ready for it and the grill of death is open ready to receive it. The little bugger then gives a massive jerk and pulls himself off the hook and before Mike can put the rod down he flops off down the steps and swims off.
Photo: Another mahi mahi who gets away
In the evening on the net, there is talk of gale force winds but they are forecast for further north than we are. Let’s hope they stay north. I go to bed slightly worried which is probably why I find it harder to get to sleep than I have recently.
Our position is: 27 deg 00 min S, 47 deg 31 min E
Distance so far: 17055 nautical miles
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