Day 18 - 19th June - Just over a day to go!
SY Saphir -
Jeff & Doreen
Sun 19 Jun 2022 21:53
| 09:45S 136:02W Noon to noon of 138.0 - A bit lower than normal partly due to lighter winds generally and partly due to the fact we had to put in a couple of gybes and therefore the distance run was not all towards our destination. However we are sailing well now and have been since about 08.00 this morning. We are more or less sailing directly to Hiva Oa. Maybe slightly south but in a nice ESE wind of 17/18 knots with full main and a poled out jib. Distance to go at midday today was 177nm so we should get in before dark local time on Monday - fingers crossed. I said in my first blog that we were ready to leave the Galapagos and have some time back on the water and in the same way we are ready to get in now and looking forward to some cruising around the Marquesas and a bit of shore time. I have had the line out since early this morning and got excited a few moments ago when it started running out. I reeled it all in but there was nothing on the end of it? Did not lose anything however. I don’t think there are any fish in this Ocean! We had a good display of Dolphins around the bow yesterday and some huge fish jumping right out of the water close by which I guess were being chased by the Dolphins. We watched them for a while and when I decided to go to the bow with the GoPro to get some film it was like they got stage fright and they just vanished… After a bit of cajoling I have managed to get Doreen to put some input into this Blog. For someone who is never lost for words and normally you can’t stop talking it seems hard to get her thoughts down on paper. Anyway it took the form of a Q&A session in the end so here it is:- JT - When we started the adventure that cold night on the 3rd November 2020 departing from Hamble going across the Bay of Biscay to La Coruna - I said, “If you can cross the Bay of Biscay in November you can do anything, it will be the worst part of the whole trip” Now you have sailed a few miles on the boat do you agree with that? DT - So far yes. It was cold and rough. I hurt my back and front getting thrown into the toilet door and then the galley sink one after each other. JT - What has been the best Ocean passage and what has been the worst so far and why? DT - Worst was the Bay of Biscay. Best was going from Grenada up to St Lucia. (Note I did mention this was not an Ocean passage). The passage we are on at the moment has been the best offshore passage because the waves have not been so bad and we have seen some sea life. JT - You have now sailed this boat the same distance as me which will be approx 11,500nm when we arrive in Hiva Oa - Can you name all of the lines that come back to the cockpit without looking at the labels? :) DT - We are just going through them - So she passed with a score of 10/12. Will test again in OZ! JT - Has this whole experience exceeded your expectations and if so why and what has been the best part so far? DT - It has. One reason is we are both more relaxed. Coming through the Panama Canal was a fantastic experience. Visiting the Galapagos and the San Blas islands. In a word it has been fantastic. Thanks for making me come on it. I have to say I was apprehensive to start with. JT - How have you found living in a confined space with just your husband for company DT - Ok better than expected. In fact we get on better at sea than at home - (JT - I agree with that!!) JT - What is it like to have a husband that does everything for you 24 hours a day 7 days a week when we are on the boat? :) Eg. cooking, cleaning , sailing, the blog!!!! DT - My opinion differs, he does not do everything for me. But is is a great comfort to know he knows what he is doing JT - Finally. Are you going to fall in like you did when we arrived in Grenada? DT - No I am definitely not! Staying away from that rum! As I said it is hard to get those thoughts down on paper…. That is all for now. We are looking forward to our last night at sea for a while and exploring a new place that neither of us has been to before. It is always quite special arriving into a new place by sea and I am sure this will be no different. We will do an update after our arrival tomorrow - as long as it gets written before we have a beer or two as tradition dictates. All well onboard Cheers Saphir. |