Fog and Whales
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Noon Position: 43 06.0 N 065 48.9 W Course: 050, Speed: 4 knots Wind: Southeast 8 knots Daily Run: 79 miles Average speed: 3.3 knots Today marks a week since we left Nearly all of yesterday and all last night we have been imprisoned
in a circle of fog, our world of sight extending little further than 200 yards,
an aural “lookout” providing us with more information than our
eyes. Yesterday afternoon as we crept along at two knots we heard the
deep heavy throb of powerful slow revving diesels some way off astern. We
listened anxiously as they grew louder with no appreciable bearing movement.
A fog horn sounded. I made reply with Sylph’s breathe activated
unit, certain that no one on board the vessel could hear our small plaintive
note above their own engines. As they grew closer I used the pressure can
horn which emitted a few more decibels. The throbbing grew louder, the
bearing slowly moving left but it was clearly very close. Then a shadow
appeared barely discernible, wraithlike, ever so faintly, at the edge of our
visibility, slowly circling like some ancient predator inspecting its prey. This
time it wasn’t hungry for it finally moved ahead of us and disappeared
into the shrouding mist. I think it was a Canadian Patrol Boat. Then this morning as the damp night gloomed to grey dawn, Sylph
still ghosting, I heard a long low pfffffff, the unmistakable sound of a whale
blowing. As I listened it became clear there were at least two of these
huge mammals nearby. I excitedly awaited a sighting but none came, the
fog was very close in, maybe a hundred yards, we would virtually have had to
run over one in order to see it. They stayed close by us for quite a
while, I am sure they sensed our presence, they would have been able to hear
the noise of our wake bubbling astern, there is even a good chance they thought
we were one of them and had closed us to exchange courtesies, such are the
advantages of a quiet sailboat, and the patience to go slowly over the earth’s
surface. I am sure we will get to see some of these magnificent creatures
before our voyage is over. We are planning on making our first stop at Shelburne where
at this rate we will arrive by tomorrow morning. We will make a two night
stop and then, weather permitting, will continue on our way, probably direct
for Morale is good. |