Look out - wahoo!

Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Sat 7 Nov 2009 10:00
We now have over 2000 miles on the log and are starting to build up a basic feel for how this ship sails. We are now at Gran Canaria at 28:07.55N 15:25.49W.
 
We set off from our anchorage yesterday morning at 0430 having got up at 0345. The time was passed teasing a very stubborn mainsail out of the mast - nothing wrong with the system really just probably furled away too much and overly bulky at the foot. This is an issue we are extremely concious of and is the one of the big potential downsides of in mast reefing. After whileing away half an hour pleasantly on the mast above the boom in the pitch black in the middle of the night, we sailed out the anchor and tacked round to feel our way along the edge of the reef extending a couple of miles south of the point and which had enormous rollers breaking over it the night before. With a little help from sleepy crew we rounded the reef and set sail on a beam reach  - woh! was this going to be fun. Stonking straight up to 8 knots then 9 then 10 I was a very happy bunny and not the least bit grumpy. We had winds fom 12 knots to 24 on the 50 mile passage. While Trish slept below and Craig slept in the cockpit we changed gear up and down ranging from full genny and main to Jib and double reefed main and the only help I got was when Craig was forcibly stirred from his slumber to lend a finger (to sheet in the main or jib) I didnt really need him but was enjoying the helm too much to share it with the autopilot! I decided to overpower her to such a stage that I had full lock lee helm in the gusts to get to know her and check whether feathering into the wind was a good option to spill power and what was the last point I could still get the rudder to assert it self and wrestle the ship away from the clutches of the wind and run off down wind having stolen some energy from her. Not quite a laser but good fun and in this case good for toning the moobs. The only thing that spoilt the fun was few big squalls which knocked us out of our stride and a ship which tried to. I was sure he was playing chicken with me so at a couple of miles I called him - no response. Then the MARPA showed him going behind me, I was sure he had altered but on checking again CPA was head on. I shouted him again - nothing then again "OK OK this is so and so" - "channel 06" "ok 06". "What is your intention" says I "to pass behind me or ahead of me" - 1/2 mile to go relative speed 17knots -  we are not a small boat but  he asked are you a sailing vessel? Clearly lifting his head to look out the wheelhouse window "OH! oh! OK! Ok! Ok! I alter" in his best asian accented english - "well" I said "you need to alter dramatically to starboard to to pass behind me". I think you call the manouvre that he carried out a swerve. As he passed by my transom he at least had the manners to come to the portside rail and wave an apology!
 
We spent the first afternoon in Gran Canaria getting some more curtesy flags as I did not have enough - so atthe moment I think I am covered to Galapagos. We also went to the fishing shop and got some really serious lures rigged and a few other bits and pieces including a vicious looking gaff and a rod holster to seat the rod end in when reeling in thebig one. The guy in the shop also gave us a guarantee that we would catch good fish on the atlantic - so look out wahoo, tuna, dorado and marlin we're a comin!
 
Almost every day now we are meeting people that we know either at sea, at anchor, in the marina or in some cases, on the street. Last night we went out to dinner with David and Susan a Scottish couple who circumnavigated in the Blue Water Rally a couple of years ago and along with most other rally participants we had them at our house for a dinner and party.