Passing the continenal shelf

Salsa af Stavsnas
Ellinor Ristoff Staffan Ehde
Sat 1 Sep 2012 01:24

You expect that the depth meter would tell you that we go from 145 meters deep water to 4000meters?

Nope, it freaks out completely. Ellinor told me that she was stunned to see that we suddenly had only 20 meters under the keel. She started to look in all navigation tools we have (two plotters, 1 iPad and paper charts...)Tha's what happens when you pass the continental shelf, you never know from your soundings, only from the charts.

Tonight we have a full moon, the swell is large but smooth and long. We can see the stars and the small ones on board that are sleeping have a smile on their faces. Today we where chased by a large school of dolphins. Swimming just around the boat, under, behind and front, you name it.Maybe 20 dolphins welcomed us into the Bay of Biscay.

We are passing thorugh as a high pressure is building up around us, so we have to sail with genacker ( a huge light wind sail), and now in the middle of the night we travel by motor.

As we will approach the southern part of Biscay it looks more tough, 20-24 knots of wind.

A day like this starts with breakfast 0700, at anchor, we made Salsa ship shape the night before in very heavy tyring swell.Ellinor and I where tyred, we do not sleep well when the boat is rocking....

You could tell from how many misstakes I id when setting the genacker, I thight that sailing around is not rocket science, but when you are tyred it becomes rock science....

It felt good to lift the hook and sail out in a corridor of the most beautyful sculptures nature can make. This part of France have stone shapes that are unbelievable.

Getting out from the island Ellinor and I started our watch schedule, 4 hours on and 4 hours off. Erika and Andreas keep us going during the dayshift...

They have been playing a lot in the cockpit as the sun was out and it was one of the first warm days at sea.