To the Galapagos Islands

Pearl of Persia
Andrew Lock
Sun 17 Mar 2013 00:03
00:44.97S 090:18.39W
Panama to Galapagos is around 900 miles and the route takes us through the
doldrums, or more properly the 'Inter Tropical Cyclone Zone' an area between
the northern and southern weather patterns each side of the equator. By
checking the forcasted winds we selected a route through the calm and
motored for a couple of days until we felt the slightest breeze and then
sails up and a gentle push towards the Islands. This crossing was a far cry
from the previous one where we were thrown around the cabins mercilessly.
We managed to eat, sleep and generally have a relaxed time. Around 10pm on
the fourth night we had the most astonishing sight. As the boat moved
through the water it created a shimmering trail from the phosphorescence,
and then, as far as we could see and all around us, a white sparkling light
from the sea surface, brilliant and spectacular. We could only sit in awe
and watch as the boat glided along under the stars, creating a light trail
behind like a torpedo, laid out across the sea surface before us, like
burning oil, glowing in the dark. Within a couple of hours, the glowing
phosphorescence lessened and soon all back to normal, a starry night and
blackness. And nights at sea are very black. Day six and we cross the
equator. We watched our navigation system give a readout of our latitude,
ticking down slowly as we sailed along and then for just a moment it read
00deg 00.000 N and then the N changed to S and we were in the southern
hemisphere. Bottle of champagne was cracked, fortunately it happened at a
perfect time, 6:30 in the evening.