Bernie’s Blog - Day 8 – Sunday 31^st July 2011

Leg Five: Azores to Dartmouth

Following the successful Tuna fishing of yesterday morning, after lunch yesterdyay we witnessed a huge whale about 50 yards off the starboard quarter. Peter thinks it was a ‘Sei’ whale. It was about 20 metres long with a small dorsal fin. What a sight. It had a graceful movement and ‘blew’ about 3 times before disappearing from view. As a standard routine we started the engine to make a noise that would keep the whale at bay just in case it thought we were another whale with whom it might mate!

So, back to the Tuna. Christine ‘butchered’ the tuna and for lunch we had Sashimi with Japanese soya and Wasabi (mustard). In the evening for supper we had pan fried in butter tuna steaks with Pedro’s Azorean boiled potatoes. The potatoes we had purchased in the Horta supermarket had, inside the bag the actual name of the farmer - Pedro. Very good spuds they are to.

Overnight we had a very fast sail with 15-20 knots of wind from the northwest driving us along at 7-8 knots and making very good progress. We should reach the halfway point today for which Christine promises a surprise. We’ll tell you what that is tomorrow.

We have about 650 miles to run and we are on a latitude level with northern Spain ie. 44 degrees north. The sea temperature is slowly dropping and this morning it is down to 21° C. With a grey cloudy sky and light drizzle it is beginning to feel very much like home.

Our ‘afternoon tea’ delights are slowly being whittled down. The lemon drizzle cake and flapjacks are finished and there are 20 Welsh cakes remaining. Please send more!

Don’t worry; we have lots of chocolate bars and also Christine’s boiled fruit cake so we will not starve.

Hope you have a good Sunday. More tomorrow from the good ship ‘Susan Ayu’ and her wholesome crew.