28 th April
Frasersboat
Sat 29 Apr 2006 00:37
were battered a little by a frontal weather system which eventually forced
us to deploy the para anchor for a few hours. When we set off the wind and
currents combined to give us sereral hours of exhausting plodding
challenging us physically and emotionally again. I say emotionally cos we
have become pretty drained of reserves and dredging up a few more big
efforts becomes harder each time. Yet through it we came and today has been
better if not spectacular. Progress towards the goal seems so slow but we
keep looking for positive sign posts in mileages eg remembering when 300
miles had passed and i said we had done 1/10 of the distance. Well its now
1/10 to go.
I dont think we'll scorch it tomorrow as the forcast has some SE in it but
it should be ok unless we are hit by one of these squauls again.
The delay last week has put us back on meagre rations again. If a yacht
passes we'll ask for a parcel but there are few around. I had a chat to a
French yacht the day before yesterday in the middle of the night but forgot
to ask for food. It would have been difficult at 3.00 am. He told us some
bad weather was imminent
Ocean Rowing and their Argos Satellite Tracker beacon has apparently failed
on our boat. We have activated the spare so I hope the positions will return
for your perusal. If nothing happens I hope we dont miss Antigua and start
heading for Cuba as noone will know where we've gone.
The dorado escort is back with us, or maybe they never left. At night with
the light from the deck light at least a dozen dorado can be seen just below
the surface. During the day time dorado jump acrobatically leaping high into
the air and landing flat on their sides. This maybe to dislodge lice or just
to have a look at another world. Who knows. Today there was a big commotion
as a dorado jumped followed by a marlin. They both came right out of the
water, the marlin took chase with the dorado jumping several times before
silence. Who won I don't know.We mentioned the other day about losing a
dorado which struck at our bait taking all the tackle. Well Tim and I were
both on deck, me rowing when a dorado jumped over my oar , hitting it in
fact. Then we saw what looked like the remains of my fishing line dragged
over the oar, it was the one that had got away showing us his new appendage.
Tim and I felt really sorry that our actions had left it with this. We felt
if it had landed in the boat we would have taken out the hook and given it
its freedom. This is probably Tim's soft and cuddly streak or more likely
his dislike of any fishy smells on the boat.