Attacked by a Viking

Ninaofsouthampton
Sat 22 May 2021 22:45
We got away from St George promptly at 1400, convoying out with most of the other boats. We found Wilson already underway with St Nick ( a big Catamaran that joined ARC Europe in Bermuda, sailing in from the US ). We slipped past Wilson but the big cat is too fast for us and is some miles ahead now.

Big Bear and Pivot hundreds of miles ahead. They did leave 3 days ago!

Some good news. The swell is not as bad as expected and the sun is shining. Better still our Chilean opponents in Buganvilia don’t seem to be able to match us despite some bold claims by Juan and Martine in the beach bar. Mind you I stupidly said we would buy the drinks in Horta if we got there before them! Hopefully they won’t remember that. It was a long afternoon.

So what about the Viking?

Nick had just knocked up a really delicious Spag Bol when we realised a large cruise ship, The Viking Orion, was bearing down on us. AIS told us we would pass at 300m but the ship is about that long so wasn't very reassuring. We would love to have changed course but we had the wind well behind us and didn’t dare steer further behind her. It was a tense few minutes as we sat, Spag Bol in hand, watching the ship inch past our bow; rounding upwind always a possibility but dinner might be wasted in such a manoeuvre! Anyway. We had good close up view of her port side but both Nina and dinner survived the experience.

Making very good progress and so good to be back at sea. Probably won’t see another ship for days. That’s the way it goes.

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