Day 9
Shalan
Mon 28 Nov 2016 22:57
So today was a bit rubbish for wind. We started off with about 9 knots but this gradually dropped early afternoon to 5 knots. See state has been calm all day. We ended up furling the code 0 and back under engine into the evening. Going into the night the wind has since increased to 13.5 knots and we're now moving along nicely with the spinnaker and main doing about 9 knots SOG on course 255 degrees. We also had some communication from Fourth Dimension who are in the same class as us asking what the wind sitution was like where we where as they were short on fuel. Clearly they were having the same wind issues 100 miles north, and the ARC update confirmed light winds all over the zones. Sounds like a lot of boats have been doing a lot of motoring too. We've still done very little on engine considering. Foreward tanks stillboth brimmed and aft two both on more than 3/4.
Sunset was amazing this evening. Hardly a cloud in the sky. And just as the sun was going down we spotted a large pod of whales off to starboard which crossed right in front of us.
FISH UPDATE. Today was another strong day and we're on a roll! We landed a 30 pound yellow fin tuna and a smaller bonito. We then put the lines back out again to see what else might bite.....and jeez did something bite! The reel started flying out and we put the brakes on the boat as quick as we could. But the line was just going out faster and faster. We put the clutch up to max and not even that slowed it down and we were rapidly reaching the end of the line. Next minute it reached the end of the line, the whole rod bent like something out of a cartoon, and the line snapped off the reel. Whatever was on that hook was MAAASSIVE!!! The reel clutch was red hot afterwards! We had some spare mono line and have since re-reeled the rod, but it took my other favourite lure the bugger! Would have loved to know what sort of beast we'd hooked but I guess we'll never know.
Tom cooked up today's tuna catch this evening which was spot on and we had another night under a cloud free sky only lit up by the milky way and an infinity of stars, with the occasional shooting one. One came through the sky like a firework which none of us had seen before. The sky at night in the middle of the ocean is like nothing anywhere else and has to be seen to be believed.
Pic of the Day: Well this has to be 'Leutenant Pegalot'.....caught snoozing on his watch and deservedly abused with every peg we had. The quadruple pegs on his sunglasses are a particular favourite!
Well that's it for now. Hoping this wind will continue through the night and into tomorrow. It's not forecast but fingers crossed it stays!
Out for now...more tomorrow!
