Genevieve and Carl encountered possible extraterrestrial activity (so they think anyway) as they were on watch during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday.   Both were quite spooked by the experience and we have ruled out the possibility of just passing another ship in the night.

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By Genevieve:

 A red and white light appeared to be flying, ducking up and down the waves, using the same pattern most sea birds do, while following the Siri Ros. It occasionally appeared on our radar, simply for a few seconds before the screen turned all black again. The light finally disappeared after 30 minutes of activity, to our greatest relief, only to pop up again on the other side of the boat. After trying to get a closer look with flashlights, the flying light seemed to settle itself on the horizon. Later, it became a vessel but with no information about it on AIS, which is odd for an engine-driven vessel of more than 50 meters. The radar did tell us that it was going at 30 knots of speed, but was completely still as we sailed past. Unidentified Floating and Flying Objects are a possibility, as well as illegal activities, or the ol’ trusty Area 51 conspiracy, this time with the Navy. Please leave us your ideas, thoughts, suggestions or comments.

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There is always something to keep you busy onboard; today the galley sink would not pump out.  Giancarlo and I have been crawling around in the bilges and under the sink trying to locate the problem.  We eventually managed to get rid of the water and the pump appears to be working again. The crew got a telling off for putting coffee granules down the sink (could be anything that was blocking the sink but a bollocking doesn’t hurt now and then).

Since leaving Bermuda we have been intrigued by a peculiar floating jelly fish, its purple pink, the size of an orange and has a large fin similar to a fish’s dorsal fin, these are sailing/floating past us constantly.  Anton claims that they are “Portuguese Man of War”, none of us any the wiser.   However, Genevieve and Annya made a fishing-net out of some old packing for the oranges and attached this to the boat hook.  Genevieve fished one out to have a closer look.  It looks like a purple/pink balloon; it is transparent and has long dark purple tentacles.  Can anyone at home confirm that what this may be?  We have taken several photographs and videos of the expedition.

This morning the whales appeared, they were about a mile of the port side of the boat.  Their huge shape was clearly visible as they ducked and dived.   They came up for air and you could see them blowing the water out of their lungs in a fountain torrent before diving, these were Mink Whales and very impressive.  Annya put on some music to try to entice the closer to the boat – didn’t work – Genevieve took out her accordion and played a couple of tunes – didn’t work either.

Liz

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And this second day of calm sea is going to end in a vivid blue sky, no clouds, no wind, no waves:  just the dammed noise of the engine that’s working since yesterday night to push us to Azores.

Lucky enough, we were delighted again by dolphins, this morning at  dawn and at noon; they are simply beautiful and fantastic to push the crew’s smiles up to the sky, to brush off  the Londoner clouds and rain that gave us the good-morning  to day.

The low pressure is huge and will last till to-morrow ,  they said. But we do not care:  after a special dinner  with  an ” Italienne cousine” extra invented  menu our chef will prepare, a vivid moon on a glittering  quiet sea is expecting us; and the dolphins again,  too!

 Lets  taste, watch and .... sleep.

Gn’itee!