Fishing Boat
Fleck
Wed 5 Jun 2013 17:25
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Wednesday, 5th June, 2013
Position 10:52.7N 57:48.0W 18.00 UT
Steady progress, some slight squalls overnight. MY
ETA conflicts with daylight hours as usual, but feeling at present that I shall
be able to find my way into the anchorage OK, even in the dark (and there is no
moon left now). And anyway a lot can change in 200 miles, so we continue to
sail at 'full' (cruising) speed.
Last night a reflection in the cabin window gave
the appearance of a very bright ships light just off to starboard: this whilst I
was cooking supper. I could not work out which of the interior cabin lights was
causing this reflection, which I had never noticed before. So I turned off
each of the cabin lights in turn, but this made no difference. Finally,
I popped my head out of the companionway, and of course a very large
fishing vessel, with floodlights, had suddenly materialised about a
half mile off my beam. The trusty egg timer was subsequently working
overtime through the night, but no further sightings, and by dawn I was so tired
that I drifted off nicely, oblivious to the alarm bell! This is the first
fishing boat that I have seen since the shallows off Brazil, but I suppose
that we are only 200 miles from Trinidad, Venezuela etc, so I will just have to
be vigilant this last little way. Although large, maybe 25 metres, she carried
no radar or AIS transponder. So far as my own fishing effort is concerned, there
has been none, not since I was persuaded to part with a lot of pocket
money for a new reel in St Helena. Watch out for it on ebay next year, as I
think that it will be 'overkill' for the little mackerel that we get back in the
UK.
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