Position at 1430
GMT-6: 2 06.59S 92 28.57W
After a week in
the Galapagos spent taking in the sights and sounds of Darwin's wonderland, it
was with a sense of excitement, relief or trepidation depending on which crew
was asked, that Questionable Logic slipped from its chains and sailed for new
horizons. We are 6 on board, 5 English and an American. 24 hours previously we
were 5 but during a drink at the last chance saloon, a chance encounter with
Paul, a congenial bloke from Norfolk, saw an invite extended to him to join the
passage to the Marquesas, which he duly accepted.
At 2.30pm on the
13th we were off, adios to islands that had treated us well, and
stocked up with hopefully sufficient provisions and water to last us until the
next landfall. Up came the sails
and off went the engine and within half an hour we were slipping through the
water, trying to adjust to the wide open space that will be our vista for the
next 3 weeks. A turtle passed us by almost immediately close by on the port
side, a local bidding us a final bon voyage. Soon after the fishing line began
whirring, a strike at last! Confirmation the lures do work! But excitement
quickly gave way to disbelief – the 2 foot tuna which had taken the bait was to
be dinner not for us, but for an unseen predator. On reeling it in, we were left
with a tuna head, minus body. Close to landing a decent fish, but once again not
close enough. Knocking on the door though, our time will come.
Watches were
organised and the crew settled into the languorous rhythm of the swell.
Conditions were good – slight seas, 10 knots of wind forward of the beam and a
beautiful pink-streaked sunset on the starboard side over Isabela, the largest
of the Galapagos islands. The stars came out, a waning moon rose and the routine
of life for the passage began.
Soon after
daybreak a breaching whale caught the eye some distance off the bow, and on
closer inspection those crew who were awake were mesmerised by the sight of
two sperm whales with a calf, a stone's throw from the port side
(we had to bear away to avoid them). At least two others were in the
vicinity, slightly further away. Later we came across several sealions, miles
from land, but happy to float with their flippers pointing at the sky as we
sailed past.
Midmorning
the wind backed, the sun came out, and the spinnaker came up. At 7 knots we are
cruising.
We've covered 132nm
in the last 24 hours (through the water - about 155nm over ground), currently
sailing with full main and the big asymmetric, making about
7kts.
