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Starblazer - 07/03/2014 – Another day in the Doldrums



Actually yesterday was quite a good day in a slow sort of way. We managed
to continue sailing until 0200 this morning though the wind never peaked
above 10 knots and was in the 7-8 knot region for most of the day. This
means we have probably slipped further behind the majority of the fleet
because we need at least 12 knots to get going properly. The solar panels
did a sterling job and built up the batteries throughout the day. We have
continued to head south of the rhum line, at least when the wind allowed, in
the hope of finding those elusive Trades.

Great(ish) news on the fishing front. A smallish squid jumped on board
overnight so John rigged it up on a hook and trolled that for most of the
day. Just as he settled down to tune in to the evening rollcall on the SSB
his line started running out. He managed to land his catch but it wasn’t
very impressive. First of all, it gave no fight and meakly laid on the side
deck. It was about 18 inches long and we have the photo to prove it, no
fisherman’s tale here. The problem was that we didn’t recognise it: head
shaped like a barracuda but body so slim there didn’t look to be enough meat
on it to feed two. John did the decent thing, removed the hook and threw it
back, but not before noticing the teeth! Our fish identifier books suggest
it might have been a full grown Southern Sennet, a harmless member of the
barracuda family that is good to eat! We’ll know better next time.

On the cooking front, the second batch of yoghurt did work fantastically
well and we had it over fresh pineapple with a streak of honey for dessert.
For dinner I made a Mediterranean Lentil stew with Chorizo sausages,
delicious. You will find beans and lentils featuring more regularly in our
meals because I brought a lot of dried ones on board and they need to get
eaten before we arrive in New Zealand. The same goes for the popcorn. Life
is hard, at least on the dieting front!

Joyce



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