Fish, fish and still more fish......

Nakesa
Thu 25 Nov 2010 13:31

19 45.6N    20 06.1W

 

 

24/11/10       20 41N18 48W     Wednesday Day 4, my dawn watch with Atlanta and a rattling fishing line indicated our first bite I attempted to pull it in only to realise it was something big, Atlanta fetched Jody and the two of us hauled in the straining line to reveal a swordfish about 1.5m long. How to bring this beast aboard the boat presented a challenge and Ashley had by now appeared. Gin in the mouth calmed him for a short time and as Jody gave one last heave to bring him into the cockpit he struggled and came free. With hind-site this was a blessing, I don’t know what we would have done with such a large fish, even if he hadn’t injured us or the boat we would never have been able to eat all those steaks! Very exciting though and the beginning of yet another idyllic day. The sky was completely clear today and the sea flattened off as we lost wind during the morning We had set the MPS as a traditional spinnaker after losing the fish but by mid day there was no wind at all. All sail was taken down and Aston, Atlanta, Jody and I had a mid Atlantic swim. Ashley was busy re routing a 24V wire for the TV (essential stuff), he really is a good chap. After swim I broke all promises to myself and turned on the engine. A rumour had developed within the fleet on the radio regarding a low pressure system that was going to arrive north of the Cape Verde islands by the weekend threatening SW winds of 35 knots. Each broadcast the reported wind  got stronger and reaching further south I could see no sign of this from the grib files and synoptic charts downloaded from ‘mailasail’ twice daily. I did however feel that I we may be able to ‘skirt’ the wind hole and avoid SW winds by heading further south I also thought that from the chart, some wind at least lay 6 miles  to the south and wanted to get that and ride the N Easterlies down through the Cape Verdes before any change of pattern arrived. Hence the engine.  My excuse anyway!

                                        Lunch was rice and chicken, once again seemingly effortlessly, Ashley prepared this whilst his head was in the switch panel (Phaedra had a hand I think!). I worked on the deck wash which has an old connection and so has not been useable since we owned Nakesa, I am glad to say that the excellent chandlers in Las Palmas sold me the bits to solve it. It was good getting the jobs done and Phaedra cooked dinner in advance The sea was full of life today, at one point there were dolphins in all directions, a little later a lone fin turned out to be a hammer headed shark and shortly followed by a turtle. Aston and Atlanta loved this, it was worth stopping the second viewing of ‘Back to the Future’, and turning off the Nintendo DS for! Just as Atlanta was about to serve cocktails which she had carefully prepared from fruit, I spotted a frenzy to port. Birds circled an area of disturbed water, clearly this was a mass feeding of some sort, I headed for the middle as Jody set a line and within seconds we had caught and landed a 5kg tuna. Jody the had a killing frenzy of his own to humanely kill the fish, decorating Nakesa with red splatter paint in the process and then Ashley and Jody took the man hunter role of cleaning the fish, eating the still warm sashimi as they worked!!

                                                  After cocktails we made actual sushi with the kit I had bought, which turned out well and then eat a marvellous dinner. IT had been an amazing day despite the wind. The only downside was that today somehow the sat phone, which we use for e mails, did not disconnect automatically and I made a 1hour 37 minute call!!!!..ouch £100 mistake!!!

 

                                        Only 117 miles run today....and will you stop telling me we are last, its depressing me........I know, I know impossible, such a supreme yachtsman in a Swan.. but just be patient..it is all in the big plan!!

 

Missing you all

 

Graham