Striped dolphins

Lochmarin
Fri 1 Feb 2013 15:30
15:53.40N 29:19.23W

A pod of them, at sunset last night, small, pretty agile dolphins all around the boat, a few were at the bow but not really bow riding. They put on a splendid display for us: leaping and twirling, streaking through the tips of the waves. We were especially glad because Ben was starting to think all the dolphins were carefully avoiding us.

The petrels hung out with us most of the day yesterday, two of them, very much into each other, dancing and dodging each other millimeters above the waves. I think they'd made a date: meet you at the ketch! Later on a juvenile joined them, but he had no chance, she was already smitten. A solitary cory shearwater came to say hello this morning.

The hunting has not been going too well; we've caught two fish but failed to land them; there are a couple of huge, wonderful-for-eating fish out there with sore lips. However, it's only a matter of time as they clearly like the lure. The garden's doing fine, so we'll be able to gather when we need to. Supplies are going well, though I'm starting to wonder if the green bananas we bought to ripen on board are actually plantain...

Meals update: breakfasts have been boat-made granola with boat-made yogurt and 'long life' croissants. Lunch was noodles cooked in miso with tinned clams and chopped spring onions. Suppers were respectively bratwurst sausages with ratatouille and potatoes, and spaghetti carbonara, followed by apple cobbler. So, not yet starved to death or died of scurvy!

The winds have been light, so we tried flying the mizzen staysail, but she wouldn't set and we took her down again. A shame, she's one of my favourite sails. The winds are due to fill in again over the next 24 hours but I'm secretly hoping the winds will get even lighter so we can take down the twin jibs and fly the cruising chute, which is a beautiful sail; colourful and with a giant Cornish chough in the middle of it. We could also take a dip if the boat slows enough! The sea is so tempting, warm and clear, just a few feet away from the sunshine filled deck :-)

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