We continue to motor along toward the Galapagos Islands, we are finding either no wind or very light and variable wind. We are currently 3 degrees north of the equator and it is certainly hot and humid during the daylight hours, though very comfortable during the nights. We have had a few rain showers, nothing very heavy and no lightning nearby.
Yesterday fishing adventures produced excitement but no fish caught. We first saw what we believe was a marlin jumping clear of the water, being chased by something larger. With each progressive jump the marlin came out of the water a bit less as it got tired, until it didn't come up again! Either it got away or... Just after dinner we got a strong bite on our line and saw another marlin, probably 4-5 feet long. It was only hooked for a short time as it broke the line and swam away. We lost one of our new lures to the marlin and have gone back to our lucky lure which caught the dorado on Friday.
The big chore for today has been to run the watermaker to replenish our fresh water. Yesterday we officially commissioned our new INMARSAT satellite communications system by making the inaugural call to our wayward crew member Neal. The real purpose in having this system is for internet access while at sea and we hope to test this aspect of the system today.
Speaking of electronic gadgets, our single sideband radio seems to be working well, every morning during the radio call-in we are told our transmission is "loud and clear". After a few tweaks to the installation in Saint Lucia we seem to have resolved the antenna and ground issues which commonly plague these antiquated devices.
When we shut down the engine yesterday afternoon to check the oil level everyone took advantage of the bathtub-like condition of the sea by taking a mid-ocean swim. The water was very warm but still refreshing, we look forward to another swim today.
BRIZO Crew