good eveming
our position tonight at 20.37 is
22 27 14N 021 04 19 W
and we are sailing along tonight in an easterly wind F5( about 16kt) and
heading on a course of 225 degrees
we have had a really eventful 24 hours
last night was a real milestone for me.My watch was 3 pm to 6 pm and
everyone was asleep when I took over from skip and let him go to bed
there was a strong wind of around 25 kt and the sea was rough with breaking
waves of over 3 m all around us. at first I was a little apprehensive
because everything seems nuch bigger at night but after 30 minutes I rreally
started to enjoy myself. i let a little more sail out then a bit more then
all of it and i really felt that even in these conditions I was in control
of the boat -- not the other was around.. My watch was for three hours and i
can honestly say it was the most fun ive ever had on a night shift. The boat
really moved as fast as she could and really reacted well to the odd strange
wave. I was so happy at one stage i even considered training to do a single
handed trans atlantic crossing! it was only when i woke up at 7am this
morning and saw jason and gollys faces that i realised they had not enjoyed
the night as much as me. the boat was certainly crashing about a bit and i
dont think they got and hours sleep between them. Golly recovered well
during the day but Jason still doesnt feel so good so hes having an early
night and skip is covering his night shift
then at 7.30 skip caught a small dorado and i had my first bite of the
journey but the fish got free
for lunch we had raw marinated dorado ( the one we caught two hours before)
with fahita style vegetables and roasted peppers ala Maria-- a local italian
recipe i know
in the afternoon we rested a little and then we put out the rods again.
incredibly my biggest rod with the biggest line and lure combination ( 80lb
rod with 80lb line and a chugger lure) was snapped by the biggest fish ive
ever seem. it was a swordfish and was enormous it jumped 3 times out of the
water before tiring of my game and snapping the line with ease.- very
exciting. then i caught a little dorado but let it go because we dont need
any more fish- catch and release!
have i told you about the dinner golly cooked last night. we played animal
mineral or vegetable when it arrived at the table and all got it wrong!
his piece de resistence was chopped cucumber mixed with sweet chilli sauce
as a starter-- need i say more
we have the position reports of some other boats but incredibly it doesnt
look as if we are last-- thats amazing because we have stopped 4 times today
for fish-- the others must be really bad or catching more fish than us
we officially crossed the line of the tropics today but its still cold at
night and im wearing the same night kit i wore to cross biscay back in
april- global warming i say global cooling
a special mention to my parents and barry and maria tonight and also to
gollys father and jasons parents and james mum and dad-- dont worry im
looking after them all!
a little too much fishing tonight but it really was the biggest fish ive
ever seen
sleep tight
until tomorrow
MG
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