Day 4 - ARC 2010 - What a change!
Sulana's Voyage
Alan and Sue Brook
Wed 24 Nov 2010 18:55
Day 4 already -and what a change. The wind dropped away to nothing in the early hours of this morning and we have been struggling all day to make any headway at all. We are some 180 miles offshore and it would seem that boats up to 100 miles nearer the African coast have held a breeze and kept sailing south, so our reported 17th position in fleet yesterday is but a memory.
However, as we also said yesterday, there is an awfully long way to go.
So what have we been up to?
We have been fishing and got two big bites, but sadly in neither case was the fish hungry enough and got off the line before we could land them. So, instead, we all went for a swim ourselves, making sure first that we had a long line on a fender astern so we could not be left behind.
The water is remarkably warm, but it felt a little odd to think our swimming pool is 3,000 metres deep!
Every lunchtime there is a round robin radio chat between designated groups of yachts. Today "Sulana" was radio control to a dozen boats who called in with reports of their positions and the weather they are experiencing. Many are becalmed like us, but some reported that they were getting along OK - and catching fish. Perhaps it will be our turn tomorrow.
James, on "Apparition", an Oyster 45 behind us has just reported on his SSB Radio cocktail net that they have seen an 8 ft Marlin leaping out of the water three times close to them and they got a bite, but have not yet landed anything......
So they are out there to be caught!