Beyzano - First Week At Sea

We are approaching the completion of our first week since leaving Las Palmas and are having a great time! We have logged over 1000 nm now and are all settled into the daily routines and watch system.

Although our watermaker decided not to play on Wednesday it did agree to fill the forward tank yesterday, so the threat of no showers for another 2 weeks has been lifted for now. Everyone took the breakdown very well though, planning to keep enough in 1 tank so we could all shower to look reasonable on arrival, for the team photos!

We caught a small dorado yesterday and it added to the flavour of a vegetable thai green curry which James made last night. The line is trolled every day and we have had a few other bites but they all got away. The entire crew rushed out to land our dorado, our first catch, in fact only
catch. Still, plenty of time yet.

20 dolphins came to play one morning, entertaining us at the bow before breakfast, Another boat sighted a whale but we haven't seen one this week.

All of us are enjoying being out on the ocean a bit too much and are in no hurry to make St Lucia any time soon. We are drifting towards the back of the fleet, nowhere near the racers and bigger boats, of course and we also have a rather nasty handicap, due to carrying a spinnaker and cruising chute. The ARC for us has always just been a social event and means to getting the boat to the Caribbean, so not expecting any prizes! Enjoying the crossing is paramount and we will not push the boat at all since we have to live on her for many years and want her in one piece.

The food is lasting well, lots of fruit and vegetables and several frozen meals untouched. We just comcentrate on using whatever looks like going off next. I will update the provisioning section when we get to St Lucia to note what we used, how well things lasted etc. and the kind of meals we ate. We have learnt to cut food up so all the meals can be eaten with just a fork, one hand has to hold the plate or it disappears onto the floor!

So onto the second week!