Wednesday 30/11/11 – St Andrews’ Day – 17:52.5N 37:03.9W

This will be a short log submission today, as we have been sailing hard whilst the going is good. We had a grand day yesterday, and expect to find today’s run to be just as pleasing. The weather is expected to be reasonably similar for a couple of days before the wind weakens towards the weekend. The further we are south and west, the more likely we are to minimise the effect on our passage time. So, heads down and gloves on….

Wildlife Watch

We seem to have lost the dolphins, with no sightings over the last few days – must be away celebrating somewhere! There are plenty of flying fish, which take off in small flocks, presumably when they are being chased by something hungry. A flying fish’s life is obviously not an easy one, though, as we have seen the escapees being plucked out of the air by sea birds who fly low over the waves awaiting a quick dinner. Must be a difficult catch that, unlike mine the other night as one flapped into me at the helm in the middle of the night!

Picture Editing and Posting

As promised, we hope that a first lifelike shot of our game fisherman landing the dorado will adorn the site at the same time this is posted: clear evidence that Martin has retained his childhood skills as a champion angler, despite scepticism from some quarters. There will doubtless be more to come, though we have put him on a European quota system, with days when the rod is banned! Some of us feared a fish only diet for the next 10 days….

…and beyond this urgent and essential proof of Martin’s capabilities with the rod , we have reviewed all the snaps taken since we departed the Canaries, looking for interesting and informative illustrations of life on the ocean.  The subjects of these photos have been universally appalled at the idea of any of the pictures being in the public domain, and have vetoed publication until they have washed and cleaned up, combed their hair, changed the grimace for a smile, and posed nicely! No surprise, therefore, that the crew demanded that we put on the generator, water heater, water maker, washing machine, hairdryer today to “put a look on”. Personally, I can’t see the difference, but there you go!

St Andrew’s Day

Martin and I have had a bit of discussion about where the half- way point is, and have not found a satisfactory answer: ” it depends”, as the Sunday Post’s Pete would have it.

The direct route is about 2,700 nautical miles, but many yachts end up travelling nearer 3,000 as you have to get south first. We have done about 1,300 nm thus far, and there is about 1500 nm from our current position to St. Lucia. Another 100 nm would cover it, then, you might say… but only if we can sail directly to it, not pass go and have to collect £200! In the absence of this milestone, we had no choice but to celebrate St Andrew’s Day instead. We have been teaching the lads some good Scottish vernacular. Widened their vocabulary no end!

Lang may yer lum reek,

Watergaw