Impala - Log: Day 11:Mikey's view..
Subject: IMPALA LOG DAY 11:Mikey's view.
Date: Thr, 04 Dec 2008 17:17:30 GMT
I can't beleive its day 11 already.... the days are passing really quickly. Back in Las Palmas during the fairly frantic preparation work time seemed to pass slowly. That is certainly not the case out here in the vastness of the ocean. It may be a factor of the Watch Routine. 4 hours on during the day and 3 at night which means we rotate through on a regular cycle with each of us being chef for a day.
Much to my suprise I have enjoyed the challenge....of being chef, that is, and no doubt my family will be amused, wryly or otherwise. I have managed to pruduce a meal of roast chicken legs, spuds and beans with roast peppers and garlic; a spaghetti calabria (minus the tomato paste); and yesterday's triumph was salmon steaks done in little foil parcels with and twist of lime and pepper, tats and beans PLUS fresh soda bread da-daaaaa!! All cooked and baked at the same time. Jamie eat your heart out.
We have been monitoring our energy consumption very carefully as, with light winds, we have not been charging the batteries as per Cpt Mercer's Grand Plan. The Air-X has barely turned and the towed genny as been producing nominal amperage. This means using the engine to charge up for more than estimated. Hence we all manually helm as much as possible and turn everything off when possible. Helming forces you to look about you and thereby note the abundance of wildlife out here. You wouldn't see it with a head stuck in a book and a casual look round from time to time.
A sucession of shearwaters have been passing south. All apparently solo, but they must stop for a chat at times as we came up on three resting on the water and got to within 10 yds of them before the patter of feet on water and a couple of flaps and they were off again scything through the wind and troughs in the waves. I think they are mostly Cory's but without the book I can't be sure. There have been a few that look more like the Manx shearwater from my local waters on the west of Scotland.
There have been dozens of Petrels (Wilsons??)mostly singles but a flock of five once with some that must have had juvenile plumage.
Two pods of dolphins have graced us with their presense. The first were definitely Atlantics. Small, greyish with paler underbelly; the second pod were even smaller and had a mottled or spotty area aft of the dorsal fins. Both lots were quite exuberant doing tail flips and one was leaping clear of the water then curling its head round and 'bombing' back into the water.
Flying fish are abundant. Small shoals are frequent then every so often the water explodes with a massive shoal bursting like a scatter gun on the water. Up on their tails walking on the water for a split second to gain speed before spreading their 'wings' and flying for atonishing distances.
A couple of days ago a dorsal fin sticking 8/10 inches out of the water cruised past. Definitely not dolphin like!! I don't fancy practicing a MOB for real.....
The crew are all in good spirits and we have collectively managed to curb Cpt Mercers enthusiasm to be in St Lucia first. The weekend racer in him has been subdued by choruses of 'Chill Man, Chill' or just by keeping our heads down in our books at any talk of gybing the fors'ls to gain half a knot. The weather has helped us in that endeavour as it has been a 'disturbed tradewind pattern' this year and we have found every hole in the wind that the forcasters have told us wasn't there!!
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