At anchor Mindelo, loads of boats from the ARC have pulled in here, goes to show how difficult the sail conditions have been. However the weather is changing today and there has been a steady stream of boats leaving but conditions are still quite light. Better tomorrow I feel.

Departed and quickly settled into down wind mode with twin poled headsails. Of course, it didn’t last. By daybreak it’s a 3 sail reach; a new disturbance to the north is pulling the wind into the SE. I just hope I can keep far enough South to avoid losing the wind. Lunchtime and sailing along under blue skies at 8kts - great. Even caught a fish (albacore, I think) that is just big enough for supper. Suppertime and the wind fades. Light winds over night, caught another albacore, but he was too small to make a proper sized meal. So back he went.

Caught a very big Maui Maui but he got off the hook just as I was trying to get him onboard. Shame, he would have fed me forever! I still haven’t finished the last one yet. He was certainly bigger than the last one. Managed to catch a reasonably sized Albacore first thing which is today’s lunch.

Nighttime display of stars is particularly good with no moon and I guess little Sahara Desert dust in the atmosphere, as the winds have been so light.

Over the last 24hrs the wind speed has doubled!!! From a lowly 5kts we are now sailing along with 10kts, which is enough to point the bows towards Grenada and unfurl the twin headsails. This will make a nice change from reaching under gennaker to nowhere in particular which has been the routine these last few days. For the second day running lunch is filleted and in the fridge before I’ve had breakfast. These Albacore just can’t give up fast enough!

Following yet another Albacore (32inch nose to tail) I shall stop fishing for a while!

Before

And after.

The RT Maui Maui record now stands at 36 inches nose to tail as verified by RT’s own official fish measurer. The Maui Maui is a really beautiful bright iridescent blue with a full-length sail for a dorsal fin when alive. As soon as they come on board they turn yellow (see picture in last months blog) and their sail collapses, great shame but they are tasty. Dolphins at sunset. The RT record for the Wahoo opened at 32inches with the first of these to be caught.  After a first meal of Wahoo I would say that this is one for the curry pot!

Grenada showed up on the 18th at first light, anchored in Prickly Bay next to guy who arrived last year when we were here and hasn’t made it any further!  It’s quite nice below – honest!

It’s a hard old life, sitting here at anchor, odd jobs on the boat, swimming to cool off and trips to the Tiki Bar for happy hour.

And, on that note, with Kate freezing in UK till she flies out to rejoin Mike on 13^th Jan – we wish you all a very Happy New Year!