As I write this it’s just past midday on another calm day, which is becoming something of a routine recently. We have been sailing since around 4am with minimal wind support, large parts of the time stuck on 0.00 knots (!), but being carried along by a little current. We are closing in on Cap Verde, but then again I have been saying that for the last few days – thank god I’m no longer ill waiting to get off there as I think I would be going stir crazy!
In contrast my spirits are good despite the lack of wind and relatively slow progress towards our destination. I suppose I should expect it, after all I’m the bod who sailed the Drake Passage with headwinds and a relatively calm crossing..! But I think some of my fellow travelers’ spirits were a bit frayed this morning, which I know from my own experience can happen with the lack of sleep and relatively tight conditions in which we are all living. But now all good, cruising along in mid-twenties degrees with Santana playing in the cockpit wiling away the hours until we pass Cap Verde.
In the meantime, let me record our passage last night which despite the lack of wind was quite spectacular. My watch was first on at 7pm and we sailed through a couple of dark hours as the moon was yet to come up and clouds obscured many of the helpful sailing stars, although Regal wasn’t slated to make an appearance until a bit later.
Anyway with the near pitch black conditions we were treated to a display of bio-luminescence (“glow in the dark plankton”) which in of itself looked pretty special rushing along the bow of the boat and leaving a colourful wake behind us. But then the special became the wonderful as a pod of dolphins materialized and shot in and around the boat leaving their own coloured jet stream in their wake! Fantastic sight, the dolphins were actually lit up as they swam to and fro alongside the boat and around the bow. So, in recompense of no wind we were treated to this great show which was followed up at dawn by a most wonderful sunrise, one of many I’m sure.
I was on the helm at the time trying to steer a course with minimal wind, but allowing me to position the boat to my best advantage to get some great shots as the sun finally rose above the horizon. The rest of the morning we meandered slowly onwards, drifting along under a light wind, beginning with just a mainsail and jib and now moving onto a spinnaker as we seek to make some ground. I have been nicknamed Bishop by my watch after the android in the Alien films on the grounds that I have the patience to maintain a course in whatever condition – like the infamous android, although saying that he did have a major malfunction at one point!...
On that note, it must be nearly lunchtime but I don’t see any signs yet from the usual galley crew, well we don’t have a galley, but there are always one or two who take on culinary responsibility, let’s hope they are feeling peckish soon…!
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