Life on the crest of a (big) ocean wave
A year afloat: to the Caribbean and back
Sam and Alex Fortescue
Mon 18 Jul 2011 15:18
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39:49.57N
066:26:96W
Summer Song is literally leaping from wave to wave
at present. Since daybreak, she's been racing along at six knots plus and over
the past three hours, she's been averaging about eight knots. As I type, we've
just hit 10.9 running under just the mainsail, with the hull humming as if
it is alive. Sailing like this is akin to sprinting, but along a wobbly downhill
track that won't stand still. Though the seas have been growing this morning,
making life below decks pretty lively, we're pretty pleased. At this pace, we'll
be in Flores - the westernmost of the Azores - in about 12 days. The forecast
seems excellent - between 15 and 25 knots for the foreseeable
future.
The crew is settling into the routine on board.
Night watches have not proven much of a problem so far - in part thanks to the
Hydrovane, which is doing the difficult job of steering for us. This leaves us
free to ruminate, keep a look out and engage in aerobics - something both Alex
and Elise are partial to. Even the skipper did some leg bending exercises this
morning under cover of darkness.
Cooking has been going well with our hastily
assembled propane arrangements, the outsized gas bottle lashed into the cockpit.
I made a delicious tomato, cheese and pasta goo last night. It was our first
attempt with gluten free spag (Elise is coeliac) and it rendered up a thick
starchy noodle stew. It wouldn't have passed muster with an Italian, but suited
us very well. For lunch, we're considering 'tofu dogs' with sauerkraut. Don't
say we're not globetrotting eaters!
Still no luck with a fish, but we're going to try
with the pink squid lure that proved so deadly on the southern crossing. Now
we're back in the Gulf Stream, we're expecting more luck. The colour of the
water has turned from watery green to the deep electric blue of the open
Atlantic. The water temperature has rocketed up as well and should provide
excellent bathing opportunities in the event of a calm. We're expecting the wind
to die away the day after tomorrow.
Morale is holding up well, although the breathless
excitement of the first day has passed. Despite the trying sea conditions, it's
super to be out alone on deck with the moon and stars during the night, and
basking in the windy sun during the day. Hurray, doncha
know.
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