Flying fish and Phosphorescence!
Chelone's travels.....
John and Susie Blair.
Mon 10 Dec 2012 17:21
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N14:37.00 W54:30.00
Once the sun starts rising you can count the flying
fish that have stranded themselves on our deck overnight. On another trip
I found one waiting on my bed as it had 'flown' through the open hatch
above! For anyone wondering, yes you can eat them and we did on our last
crossing, they're the national dish of Barbados and taste very good
though a little boney.
We caught two more Mahi Mahi, this time much
bigger, especially the second though frustratingly we lost both again due to
trying to land them without harming them (ie no gaff), hey-ho try again! (we're
hoping for something different, Tuna perhaps?)
Last night and yesterday we had a four metre
swell with accompanying winds gusting near gale force at
times. As per Herbs forecast the squally conditions gave us a
rolly-poly ride and driving rain from astern which meant we had to keep the
companionway doors and hatch closed so making things hot and humid below deck.
Fortunately these conditions though numerous were short lived but one
spends the night opening and closing port holes and hatches all the same.
When on deck last night and between showers, the
stars were incredibly bright, the Milky Way stretched over us from horizon
to horizon. Little sea creatures phosphoresce as our bow ploughs through the
frothing sea and they pass by the cockpit like fairy lights. Also the moon, now
just a mere slice of a crescent, at this latitude rises in a horizontal
plane, Susie says it looks like a little silver boat!
This morning the sun is shining and winds have
moderated slightly, Cumulus clouds are bubbling up on the horizon ahead
indicating our passage through last nights weather front is
complete. It's my watch and I see that Ross has plotted an updated ETA for
our Bajun landfall as late afternoon, early evening (Local time)
Wednesday based on our current speed which we should have no problem
maintaining as there's little change in the forecast for the next few days.
Naturally we've been wondering whether we'll arrive at some ungodly hour
or, more hopefully, in time for a celebratory toast at the Cruisers Yacht
Club.... fingers crossed!
Dinner last pm.....Ross, Satay noodles with onions
and garlic, Martin & Louise had Veggie sausages with mash n' beans and Susie
and myself had Chicken pie with mash, tinned carrots/peas and
gravy...Yum!
300 miles to go!
TTFN JB.
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