Day 139 - Caribbean Passage - Day 13

Silk Sheets
Ben Shute & Fiona Kennelly
Mon 8 Dec 2008 19:44

Midnight we had made it as far as 17:33.76N 33:33.38W – Monday 8th of December, 2008.

 

Engine Time – 1.2 Hours

 

Once again a day filled with sunshine and light winds, it does not worry either of us to much at the moment as we can go down into the cabin and make lunch, create something in the galley or just lie down while we slowly rise and fall with the swell. I have been setting the kite and letting it fly all day with out a second though, the good thing about the kite also is you are able to sail a lot further down wind almost on a dead run.

 

Fiona spotted a big ship in the distance in the early afternoon which cheered her up. She was beginning to think that we were the only boat out on these waters and if anything were to happen we might be stranded for day’s. Well for me it was the opposite, the last thing I wanted to see was another anything, the moment I saw her I set the timer on and waited until she crossed our imaginary path. I was glad to see that it took about 30 minute’s. In addition to this the ship had seen us and altered their course to let us by. I called it up on VHF, which will work out here with anything in range which is only about 20 odd mile’s and asked for a weather report. I said big ship, big ship, this is the little sailing yacht off you starboard bow do you copy over? The guy came back almost immediately and said hi, I asked him for a weather report and we had a small chat and off we went on our way’s. It was a Greek Vessel on it’s way to Africa somewhere, that was about all I could get out of the slightly broken English chat we had.

 

Lets hope it is the last vessel we come across, besides there is plenty of ocean out here for every one so why come on the bit I am sailing in????

 

If you are wondering why I timed the big bad boy of the sea it is because the two of us or even one of us can not always be on deck and it is nice to know how long you have until you need to stick your head up above the parra pit.

 

Special comments by Fiona:  I was so excited to have spotted this huge ocean tanker.  More excited once we were able to speak over the radio.  I guess it was reassuring to know that if any-thing were to happen to our boat then there are big ships out here to come to our rescue! 

 

Day 139

Traveling Direction – West

Wind Direction – South East East – moderate

Swell – Moderate

Average Speed –  4.5

Top Speed – 7.7 Knots Through the water

Distance Covered – 108.0 Nautical Miles

 

 

 

JPEG image