Departure
Dawnbreaker
Lars Alfredson
Fri 18 Nov 2011 14:43
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