On route to Suva; Fiji
00h37 UTC 23 September
Course: 280°
Distance covered last 24hrs until 23h00 GMT: 97nm
Distance to Suva: 89 nm
Position 18°19' S 179°56' E
All's well on board.
So who told the wind that we were way ahead of schedule and who computed the last weather grib files? Since entering the Lau group of islands the seas have been flat and life on board is levelling out. The wind has slowly died and at times we were down to a meagre 1.8kn of boat speed. Not that this is a problem as we have plenty of time. The grib files that we got yesterday reported that we would continue along on our way with 10kn of wind from the SE slowly turning to the east. Lovely! This morning the wind was 6-8kn but was now blowing from the SW and slowly squeezing us northward on a beat as it tracks to the west. So we are beating to Suva in light winds and the sea is still calm.
We caught a big Mahi Mahi yesterday afternoon and released it as it was over 4ft and far too big for us to keep. It took the lure and then started an amazing aerial display that we have not seen from a Mahi Mahi before. As the winds were light we turned the boat until all the sails backed so that the boat stopped while we fought the fish. If we had a freezer it would have filled that. We only keep big fish if we are going into port or an anchorage where we can share it out.
We have passed some beautiful islands that on the charts look absolutely fantastic with good places to anchor. We no sooner pass the one island and the next rises up over the horizon to great you. As slow as we are going it looks like a Sunday arrival in Suva.... so I guess its cough up and pay. If the wind had stayed with us all the way we would have had a very quick passage. So instead the books are being read and food made and being calm ... sleeping. It takes a few days before one gets used to three hours on watch the three to sleep, but it is nice if you can sleep when it's your three hours off.
Well it's time to finish this as its time to cook or bake something.....hmmm cake!! And we have been making water so the engine has been on and the fridge will be cold, so some jelly will be good... maybe with the still weather some chocolate moose might go down even better.
Till next time
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment