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Free Spirit - Log 12: 22 May 2015



Yesterday evening we caught a large tuna. It was a struggle to get him aboard, not only because of his large size but also because, as a result of heaving-to to stop the boat, the line was caught under the hull. However, the beast was eventually overcome, gaffed aboard and dispatched with a dose of gin poured into its gills. Sadly,  any terminal inebriation that may have resulted was scant compensation for the suffering that went before but this is the most humane way of killing a large fish and he died within seconds. It is tempting to make the observation that in humans the end result of imbibing gin is potentially the same but in most cases there there is at least more time to appreciate the side effects. He (the tuna) was very handsome indeed - probably about 30 pounds. He has given us enough meat to keep us going for several days. As I write Michael is preparing a tuna cervichi (raw flesh marinaded and cured in the sun) and we will be having juicy tuna steaks for dinner this evening.


I empathise greatly with Mr. Mainsail. He is getting old and tired yet gamefully struggles on. We lowered him onto the deck yesterday to repair the tear in the sail foot and found other bits and bobs in need of attention also. There were additional tears of varying importance on the luff and the leech and two of the three batons were missing from torn pockets. We were able to replace one of the batons and made a reasonable job of repairing the tears on the foot and luff. The tear on the leech is contained and is unlikely to lead to a major disaster before we reach the Azores but will have to watched. Repositioning a main sail up the mast is normally not too much of a challenge in port. To do the same thing on a heaving deck in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in 20 knots of wind is another matter! Anyway after much grunting and groaning and more than the occasional expletive the job was done and Mr Mainsail is again manfully stuck in to the task of pulling Free Spirit towards the Azores - with 1400NM still to go. 


Log authored by Peter.    
 

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