Do flying fish not see at night? Why is it only at night they end up all over the deck. Yesterday alone there was a small school in session on the trampoline. I guess they were a branch cult of some sorts and all drank the same cool-aid, that landed them breathless when the sun rose in the morning.
Been a day or so since the last update. We have had one beautiful sunny day, and one gray overcast day with a little bit of drizzle. Nothing too exciting to report, which is a good thing.
As we are coming up on our 4th sunrise on this adventure (not counting the morning we left) we have seem some nice sunrises and some pretty sunsets, but no elusive ‘green flash’ yet, too many clouds on the horizon.
We left knowing that this would be a challenging sail. Against the wind and wave as they are coming from the southeast where we are headed. Studying the routes to get there, there were 2 viable routes to avoid the Humboldt Current that brings the giant squids out to capture sailors who lost their ways. One which was up the shore, and one along way off shore, like 500 miles from shore. The Galapagos is 500+ miles off shore already, so when the models showed stay offshore, it was easy. However the day we were leaving the models were split with 2 going to shore, and 2 going off shore. As we left, we just took the easy way between the islands to get our sea legs in the protected waters between the islands. Prefect, till the next mornings forecast was again split, now we had a decision, stay off shore or go the coast route. Hours of waiting on updated forecasts to no avail, and emails to Donald who keeps track of us when we are on passage. Eventually we chose the offshore route, and have been heading down and away from where we wanting to go. We have traveled over 600 miles but are only about 300 closer to the destination. At some points the software says hundreds of days to arrive. 🙂 Hopefully soon we can take that left turn and start to make all the miles we are traveling count.
All good on board, eating and getting some sleep as we bounce along. Crossed paths with 5 ships so far, one of which was a collision course. Christine hailed him on the VHF to make sure he was gonna change course as it was day light and we say him coming for over an hour. He re-assured us he would keep all 182 meters of his tanker well clear of us. He did alter course enough to pass in front of us by about 1/2 a mile, the tanker wss full and was about a football field wide.
Midnight shift #4 coming to a close with a pitch black night after the moon sets, only the radar and AIS can see things out there.
Cheeers
Started with 1765 miles till the destination, 1482 miles to go if we were a crow.
On 12/17/2018 @ 8:47 AM Our position: 08°32.66’S, 090°48.67’W Traveling 6.4 heading 196T
Google says we are here www.google.com/maps/place/-8.54433,-90.81117
At 12/17/2018 @ 8:47 AM Our position: 08°32.66’S, 090°48.67’W Traveling 6.4 heading 196T
Google says we are here www.google.com/maps/place/-8.54433,-90.81117