19 Jan: After midnight, in the lighter winds and swell, the genoa and mainsail start backing then refilling with a “bang” that makes the whole rig shudder. So we change the sail plan back to poled out genoa and cutter sheeted from the boom, to ensure peace for the night.
Tonight, the stars were especially bright as we glide along with bright phosphorescence sparkling in our bow wave and wake. Just before dawn, a bright Jupiter rises closely followed by a glowing-red Mars. All quite magical to see, yet impossible to capture on any camera. Isn’t the human eye just amazing? We all woke up early, so earlier breakfast than usual. Today we started using some tinned fruit as our fresh fruit supplies dwindle. Oana had hung fruit hammocks around the cabin. To start with they were bursting full of fresh fruit, now just apples, oranges and lemons left.
Oana then has her first sunbathing session of this trip. All started promising, but 20 min later a dark cloud brings a downpour. So it’s Oana back in and Glen & Ellie out on deck with squeegee & sponge, in the rain, washing off some salt that accumulated on everything with the blast of wind and spray we had leaving the Canaries. At 46deg west, the chart depth contours outline the mid-Atlantic ridge below us, where the 2 oceanic plates are steadily moving apart, forever widening the Atlantic ocean. The geologists on board wish they could pop down and take a look!
Today seems particularly vivid colors: blue sky, puffy white clouds and blue sea. Glen experiments with the GoPro on a long pole, taking in various angles on the boat and scene. There is a particularly nice video of dolphins on the bow from up high. While Oana gets back to sun baking, Ellie finds a comfy spot in the pile of spinnaker on the foredeck to read her book. Before dinner Ellie and Glen lower the swimming platform and joke with Oana that we are off for a quick swim! Instead they sit chatting with legs dangling in the warm tropical water as it rushes from under the stern, hoping there are no sharks around. They adapt the Finding Nemo song to be: “feet are friends, not food…”
As we have dinner there are several rain clouds in the otherwise blue evening sky. Some show an occasional rainbow under them. As we are playing cards at dusk, a ship shows up on AIS, called Professor Logachev, 22 miles away. Our first ship sighting for a week. But something is odd about it. It’s AIS data shows “restricted maneuverability”, and SOG (speed) is zero. It’s not moving. Glen sends a DSC call on VHF but no answer. As it gets within 12 miles we can see its navigation light every second or so, as it dips above and below the dim horizon. Glen tries contact again, this time voice call on VHF-16. A voice answers in thick and assertive Russian accent “who is calling?”. Probing for a conversation Glen asks for radio check. The reply is a kurt “OK” … then nothing. Very odd. What are they up to? A 100m long ship loitering in one spot, 800 miles offshore? A secretive mission for Putin? A drugs rendevue? Or is it a science ship conducting underwater study of mid-ocean-ridge? Tempting to sail over, but don’t wish to find ourselves staring down the barrel of an AK47 with no witnesses around! Oh, t he drama we can dream-up out here in the lonely ocean 🙂 All in all another lovely day, and even better as we realise its Friday; TGIF! It’s the weekend 🙂