20:14.957N 32:31.742W The One That Got Away
Irene IV - World Adventure
Louis Goor
Sun 14 Nov 2021 23:01
Sunday
Sunday morning found us reaching the fresh breeze we have been seeking. The
swell has increased noticeably to 'proper Atlantic swell' (according to
Stuart). For the last day we have been chasing the wind to avoid a quiet
patch near us as indicated on the weather chart, and it seems that the chase
has been successful so far. We cruise through the darkness at 6 knots SOG in
15 knots of wind, pitching slightly left and right as the swell moves
underneath us. We are solidly making our way into the Ocean now, with the
Cape Verde islands well behind us. Daily conditions are hot and sunny.
Accompanying the increased wind and swell has been a small uptick in
wildlife - we were accompanied by a trio of birds, swooping in front and
behind for several hours until darkness fell. More flying fish are around,
with Stuart swearing that during his watch one of the more intrepid ones
flew through the cockpit and almost hit him the head.
The moon has been waxing each night, and star gazing has continued unabated
with the help of Ian's star tracking app - the bright Sirius being the most
recent highlight. The cadence of each night proceeds from effervescent
sunsets to bright moonlight and stars, to cloudy darkness, before dawn
arrives swiftly.
We have sporadically been letting out some fishing line, and just after
lunchtime, after several somnolent attempts, all hands flew to the aft deck
as Stuart grabbed the rod that had started jerking around. After several
minutes of adrenaline-filled battling, the Cap'n was left to rue the 'one
that got away'. Hours later, he could be seen staring into space, imagining
the tuna steak that never was.
The crew have spotted some plastic debris in the water again today, floating
past us in the middle of nowhere, just beneath the surface.
General checks and tasks are ongoing, including generator, water-maker,
battery charging and polishing amongst others.
Good food preparation and recycling of packaging before leaving Las Palmas
means that our volume of waste is very low, and is being managed well.
The Irish contingent continue to proselytise the use of past-expiry-date
food products, with some slightly mature milk being leveraged by Ian for
another excellent batch of scones consumed with gusto this morning.
Sarah has joined the language table and could be heard conversing with
Manuela in French throughout the early afternoon.
As we head into our second week, the crew have taken their inaugural steps
towards an exercise regime, led from the front by Ian, who, inspired by news
of Ireland's rugby result, kicked off the day with a solid 11 press-up
routine, followed swiftly by Sarah. Manuela showed us all how it was done by
breaking out the yoga mat and throwing her finest warrior (guerrero) poses
as the sun was setting. Doing a sideways plank is a challenge for most of us
at the best of times, never mind in these conditions.
The exhibition continues tomorrow.
Current information:
- 1,665 Nm to Antigua
- Current SOG 5.8 knots
- Force 3-4 winds at approx. 15 knots TWS