Midnight we had made it as far as 16:06.13N 48:22.37W – Tuesday 16th of December, 2008.

Engine Time – 4.25 Hours

You would not read about it, I woke once again this morning very early only to once again need to retrieve the tow gen and start the engine just to get us moving once again. I am sort of over the fact that I thought I could sail 2000 miles without running the engine. Well I am sure I could but then it would be Easter on the water also. It really is a little upsetting, I have spent so much time and money getting Silky being relatively self sufficient for such a journey and yet I am repetitively turning to the engine. I take off my hat to the many sailors that do this journey with out an engine at all. However I have also heard many stories of people going completely mad from all the rocking and rolling.  The slower you are going and the less wind you have the worse it become’s. I can not handle more than an few minute’s and Fiona is good for a bout half that.

Pulling in the tow gen each morning is becoming part of my routine and it is now my signal to put out the line. Today as always it did not take long and I was selectively releasing fish back in the water. I did however hang onto a couple. A Dorado and a small tuna (Atlantic Tuna I think). These fish, the poor little things already had their fate decided for them. The Dorado is amazing to eat and makes lovely fillets for the pan or BBQ and because Fi love’s fish done like this that was him taken care of. The tuna on the other hand was bound for our bellys raw as the day it was born. The trick with eating raw fish is filleting it correctly and then wrapping the fillets in glad wrap and sticking them in the fridge for a few hours. I do not know why but it seems to get rid of any fishy smell and taste. Fiona is in charge of making the Wasabi and Soy sauce mix for the occasion, which is always just hot enough to earn your respect pretty quickly other wise it singes the hairs right out of your nostril’s. As for the left overs and any other bits of fish that are not the prize cut’s I put into lemon juice or a vinegar/water mix and pickle for another day.  I also salted a little bit of the tuna and Dorado as I am experimenting for when I catch a 20kg tuna or a 50 kg sail fish. There will be no catch and release on this boat every thing is fair game and I say if it gets to go down into my belly it has done a good service.

The whole fishing exercise take about 5hours, by the time the rod goes in to the last scrap of fish is cleaned up not to mention me having to scrub the rear cockpit I am pretty satisfied. Something needs to keep me occupied.

We also had a visit from a couple of lovely sea birds, no idea what they are but they came and said hi to us both as we sat out on deck for a couple of sun downer’s.

Special comments by Fiona: Ben took his obsession with fishing to the next level today.  He spent hours filleting, frying, bbq-ing, drying and pickling the poor things.  Honestly, it keeps him busy and quiet for hours.  He does an amazing job of filleting so I don’t come across any bones, bless him.  But the smell in the cockpit and now in the kitchen is doing my head in.  All I can smell is fish!  I’ve banned him from preparing fish inside now.  I quietly hope that Ben doesn’t catch his 20kg tuna he so desperately wants.  Can you imagine all that fish, all over the boat? 

Day 147

Traveling Direction – West

Wind Direction – South East East – moderate

Swell – Moderate

Average Speed –  4.2

Top Speed – 6.8 Knots Through the water

Distance Covered – 103 Nautical Miles