Roger watched the sun rise and at last we were out of the fog. It was
a lovely day with the wind perfect for sailing. We were followed by
petrels particularly as we slipped over the continental shelf. Roger
fed them some bread but they did not seem to like it as much as the
seagulls did. We saw dolphins - really big ones but they weren't
interested in us.
We all sat around in the afternoon, chatting, idly reading then later
enjoying the evening sunshine and having a drink whilst our Sunday
dinner cooked: pork medallions in mustard sauce with roasted new
potatoes and vegetables. The oven is a bit patchy temperature wise
but cooks it all in the end if you keep turning the dish round.
After supper, two things happened - we must suddenly have entered the
Gulf Stream because the air temperature rose from cold to warm. It
all happened within an hour. I went on deck to take my turn at the
watch and was far too hot - had to take off my numerous layers which
had been necessary not only the night before but all through the day
if you sat in the wind. The second thing was that the wind dropped
until the wind gauge registered 0. It was all hands on deck to bring
in the sails and we motored through the night. Another eerie
experience - to be so far out to sea and to have no waves or ripples
even on the surface of the water.
As we took down the sails, a little bird flapped into the mainsail.
Curtis and Roger caught it and put it on the deck so that it could
rest but it insisted on fluttering up to the mainsail again. The
second time, it disappeared into the night. These funny birds make a
squawking twittering sound not unlike a budgerigar. They seem happy
to flit round our stern in and out of the light, calling each other or
even us. They seem almost like bats.
Rosemary and Ian
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