Dolphins!

Calypso's Web Diary
Joe Drury
Mon 6 Jun 2011 18:23

47:08.9N 9:45.1W

As I write, I’m surrounded by dolphins. I’ve been watching them for over an hour now. I’m no expert but I believe them to be small Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins, about 20 or so. I don’t know much about them but I do know that they obviously are having fun. They dive about the boat, under the keel, around the skeg and the bow, then jump out of the water, usually 3 or 4 at a time - clean out - and then squeak, presumably for joy. They are lovely to watch.

I wish Alex was here to see them, it’s made my day and seeing dolphins always does. The wind has backed to west, this means we are beating hard to windward now, any sailor’s least favourite point of sail. The sails are sheeted in hard, There is a reef in the main and my boat is heeled over about 35-45 degrees and we meet the waves at a similar angle, jarring the yacht and throwing her bows about. So maybe it is best Alex isn’t here, she is famous for her hatred of beating. We are still making 5.0 knots though, although our VMG (speed to destination) is suffering as we are now 30 degrees off course.

I’ve been a bit restless today, and now that we have taken a hit on the groundspeed I’m annoyed, but all the weather data I have says that this westerly flow will go northerly again by tomorrow, I hope. I now thing that to go further west like some of the fleet have done would have been good strategy.

It was, however, lovely to speak to Alex on the Satphone, although we spoke for 17 minutes, so that is around £50, sweetheart! Sorry. I think email is best, even though you may have to go without my dulcet tones for a while...

Right, I’m off outside to trim the sails, say hello to the dolphins and try to squeeze some more speed out of the old girl.

Bye for now!