TSS and Tuna
Rik
Sun 24 Sep 2023 18:25
34:36.187N 07:54.422W
We’re on the move again, after nearly two weeks in Sotogrande it’s great to be back at sea.
The time in Sotogrande was spent preparing for the passage to the Canaries, fixing bits on the boat, cleaning, shopping etc. Oh and visiting multiple town halls and police stations trying to sort out the visas. After several very stressful days I am pleased to say the visa issues were finally resolved.
Dickie, Kath and Nick arrived Friday lunchtime and after an afternoon wash down and an extensive safety brief we set off first light Saturday morning. The weather was roughly as forecast; calm seas and light wind, this however would soon change, as we passes through the straits the wind steadily increased from behind to about 25 gusting 30 knots. The tide was against at first so we were only able to make 4-5 knots in places but at the tide turned our speed picked up again.
With Dickie on board both fishing lines were of course out and it wasn’t long before the port reel was screaming. Dick grabbed to rod and shouted for me to slow the boat down, but with 25 knots from behind that took a while and the fish was off. 10 minutes later the port reel screamed again followed by the starboard reel, two fish!! I slowed the boat quicker this time as Dickie and Nick fought the fish. The port side fish escaped again but the starboard one was firmly hooked. Dick played him for a while before reeling him closer to the boat. Tuna, and a big one, after careful manoeuvres under Dick’s instruction Nick gaffed the fish and we all hauled him on board.
Dickie quickly watched some YouTube videos on how to gut and fillet a tuna and our fishy friend was soon in the freezer. The filleting and clean up came at a cost though, as by now the sea was quite rough and Dicky, Kath and Caroline all felt very Moby !!
While the fish was being filleted, Nick and I were picking our way through the TSS (traffic separation scheme) now we have crossed a few of these before but this one was so so busy, every commercial vessel that enters or leaves the Med passes through this scheme. They were all huge and all going much faster than us but after several tense hours we did managed to find our way across to the south side.
This picture is not the actual TSS but it does show how many ship are out here.
The sea was now really quite rough and the wind was blowing 25-30 knots and we were screaming along at anything between 5 and 10 knots depending if we climbing the back of a wave or surfing down the front.
Through the night the wind slowly eased and sea calmed a little. We now have just six knots of wind and an Atlantic swell on our starboard beam.
Oh and guess what we had for dinner ?!