FINNROSE 15:05.02N 45:39.46W
Finnrose
Tue 11 Dec 2012 12:05
don't realise how big until you cross it in a small boat. We haven't seen
land since Gran Canaria dipped below the horizon just less than 2 weeks ago,
and we haven't seen another boat for maybe a week (and that was a tiny dot
in the far distance). In the last 2 weeks we have sailed nearly 3700
kilometres at an average speed of nearly 11 kilometres per hour. Of course
that's not fast compared to jet travel or our familiar car speeds, but when
you are scudding across the surface of the sea it does seem fast. To think
that we have been doing that for 2 whole weeks and our course is still an
act of faith that there is something at the other side.... I wonder what
the sailors with Columbus must have thought?
Last night we had a spectacular lightning storm, a repeat of the events of
the last few nights, but this time more prolonged, more intense, and much
nearer to us. Yesterday we didn't see the sun at all; the cloud was
building all day; it was oppressively hot and humid, the sort of day when
you know there is going to be a thunder storm. It arrived about midnight
and was firing off all around us, a beautiful, spectacular, and
awe-inspiring sight. And, somewhat scary. Along with the lightning and
thunder came the rain and the squally winds. We reduced sail and sat tight.
All was OK. This morning we have increased sail again and we are going west
at 7 knots.
Along with the arrival of the lightning we had a couple of unlikely
encounters with flying fish. We had had a couple of portholes open in the
aft cabin and when Liz went into the cabin she found a flying fish on the
floor. What a chance; it must have literally flown in through the open
porthole. A little later, during the height of the lightning storm I
(Stuart) was sat in the cockpit when a flying fish flew on board, hit the
mizzen mast and fell into the cockpit. If it wasn't for the mizzen mast it
would have hit me; I suspect that would have hurt! With some difficulty the
thrashing fish was helped to continue his flight across our boat and back
into the sea on the other side.
Thanks to those who identified our bird visitors as egrets, probably Great
White Egrets. As we understand, they were in a place where they shouldn't
have been - hope they make it to wherever they were going.
145 miles logged in last 24 hours; 894 miles to go. If we can keep up present progress we should be there in 6 or 7 days (assuming St. Lucia does exist, and it is where we think it is!).