24 January 2011
Yesterday was grey and overcast with several periods of very light winds, at a guess, under 10 knots. Today however it is a completely different story, the most perfect sailing day one could wish for, beautiful warm weather, lovely steady sailing breeze, half a knot of current pushing us along. Nights are deliciously warm, the sky a dazzling display of stars. The Southern Cross is back with us once more. I assume that it will be with us all the way to Brazil. We are happy. Since heading out of James Bay we have seen nothing, just how we like it, but the thrice daily informal chat sessions on 4 Bravo have resumed once more and keeps us in touch with Tzigane and Tucanon. The SSB net however continues to frustrate us. Why yachts that do not have 6 Bravo and 8 Bravo volunteer to be the net controller I do not know for with the lead boats separated by hundreds of miles from the ones further back, we could hear absolutely nothing. Consequently relays took an age going back and forth doubling the air time. Not good when you consider that it is an added drain on precious power.
We are making the most of the benign conditions to rest as much as possible. I think we are going to have a very busy time of it in Brazil. Today David contacted the tour operator recommended in the World Arc Handbook and he got back to us within half a day. The tours are incredibly good value for money, always good news for a Scotsman.
Already we have experienced more marine life than in the entire passage from South Africa. This morning we had five flying fish on the deck, and a pod of pilot whales kept us company for a time. If you really listen carefully you can hear their sonar signals. Last night a sooty tern hitched a lift on our tender, slung high in the davits, taking flight once more at dawn.
Flying the flag for Brazil!
I tried without success to buy a Brazilian courtesy flag while in South Africa. Our pilot book says that the some of the officials are petty and you can be fined for flying one. I think they are quite right. It is a matter of common courtesy and shows disrespect. So out came the bag of material scraps and I managed to cobble together a flag of sorts. Recycled from an old flag I coloured the white background cloth with a green felt tip pen. I hope they do not examine mine too closely however for along the edge are the letters in bold black 'ANTIGUA' ! Fingers crossed it doesn't rain while we are there.....
Susan Mackay