Pos 48:49S 63:55W Midnight
17112011 Puerto Deseado Departure
It's a nice sunny morning but the wind is from the East and bitterly cold.
This is not what's forecast as put it on the nose, as usual.
Peter and Lars go ashore to the Perfectura to sign out while Thomas and I
raise the dinghy and get the yacht ready for sea. In the middle of this the
Perfectura RIB appears wanting the Danes to move their yacht so they can
take a picture of ours!!
As they would be moving shortly to take on fuel and we had decided to leave
once they had moved we manage to persuade them to wait. The shore party are
back in record time, the prefecture being impressed by the fact we had our
paperwork already filled in (We've had plenty of practice by now)
Mooring lines are slipped and we motor our way down river and as we enter
the seaway towards Penguin Island the swells start increasing. On our way we
sail through a cloud of tern who take flight just long enough for us to pass
and then they resume their attack on a shoal of fish they had been feeding
on.
As we close the island the sea becomes very confused and we bounce up and
down. Circling close to the shore we hope to catch sight of the Rockhoppers
even though it will be impossible to land. As we make our way down the
shoreline we come across a colony of sea lions and then with the
strengthening stench of guano, the whitened rocks that indicate a Cormorant
nesting site.
Somewhat disappointed we raise our mainsail and resume our course to the
Falklands but are rewarded by school of dolphin the escort us away from the
island. With a reef in the main and the Nr 2 jib we are making +9 Kts in a
heavy swell that sends the bow dipping and a nice wave rushing down the
decks.
After a dinner of Thomas's homemade onion soup and cheese and toast croutons
we start our watches. The seas have got up and are very confused bouncing us
in all directions the wind is also increasing and we have had to reduce the
Jib to steady the boat.
Bob the Blog
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