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Arkouda - Sea Day 14



13 42.0 N, 33 41.4W  Dec 10, 2013 - 03:32 GMT

We had a day of very light winds, the seas like glass, and a building of clouds and haze that I remember being prevalent in Caribbean due to the high moisture in the air.  The wind must be picking up somewhere--the swells begin to grow in height, but the seas still glasslike--undulating waves passing by--teasing us with a promise of being able to kill the motors and raise some sails.

I had planned on writing about the emptiness of the ocean, and how I felt at times that we were the last people on earth.  It has been so empty out here!  Tonight I woke up to start my night shift and instead of being greeted with the usual "nothing out here, I'm going to bed" mumbled by my exhausted partner, I heard "coffee is on, we have situation".  "Yeah, I asked"  "Who's out there?"  The reply stunned me.  "Remember that one boat behind us last night?  Well now we have 5 boats, and they are all around."  "You have a two targets on AIS, both to your starboard beam".  "One is a sailboat, "Grace", the other is a freighter going the opposite way".  "Okay", I said, putting on my life vest.  "Another is at 12:00 o'clock, and I can't tell what he is or which way he is going.  You can see him on radar, but I can't make out his lights.  You still have the boat behind you."  "Can you come look?"  Oh, and it looks like there is another one just off his starboard, and you have lights behind you!", Wow!  I thought about asking him if I couldn't just go back to bed, after all, it has been days that I since I have to think about anything.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to sort it all out!   And i must admit, the thought of pirates flashed through our minds.  We had sailed so close to the African coast for so long, you can't help but wander if it wasn't refugees trying to make an escape, or some mothership with satellite boats surrounding us.  I was reassured by the presence of the sailboat!

Of course the boat at 12:00 o'clock was the most concerning.  We could see lights, we just could not make out the color combo.  AIS (Automatic Identification System) is great because it tells you the name of the boat, his course, what kind a boat it is, his speed, how long you have before you pass him, and at how many miles.  This is great, and we always give a really wide berth to the fishing boats because you never know what they are dragging behind them.  Plus they are often really busy, and don't always notice you.  This guy was not on the AIS.  What the hell was he?  His course shows on the radar, ooh, looks kinda close.  Doing 2 kts, no 3 kts.  Going to our right,  Now going to our left.  Probably a fishing boat! If I alter course to pass farther behind him I will be on a collision course with the sailboat.  If I alter course to pass in front of him, he might hit me.  I think I need that coffee!

The lights are all very dim now, no dangers ahead or behind.  I went back to looking at the water!  There is so much bioluminescence (caused by plankton that glows in the dark when something passes by or disturbs it) that I swear we could be in a space ship traveling just before they hit the warp speed button, and the bright glows of light are stars as they flash by.   There must be tons of fish down there, they are flashing everywhere!  I just wish it were dolphins, I have read they that create giant tubes of light as they swim by.  

All is quiet now, we are expecting wind tomorrow afternoon or evening, and then should blow normally for a week or so.  Tell me if you get more snow in New Mexico, it seems that when you do the wind just quits here!  Our friends Ed and Annette have checked a different weather site for us.  Ed predicts that we will be there in a week!  According to my calculations, at our current speed, it is more like 12 days, 15 hrs and 20 minutes.  But who's counting?  We are making progress, heading the right direction, and still having a blast.  

Cynthia




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