can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

American Spirit II - Day 391; We Have Two Fish Stories To Tell Today; Sunday, February 1, 2015



I relieved Jeanine at 6:12 AM.

At 6:20 AM, while it is still pitch black out (its 6:20 AM St. Helena Start Time but really 5:20 AM local time), our starboard hand line hooked a fish. I first knew a fish had hit the hand line because I heard a loud bang, like someone hitting a metal garbage can lid with a hammer, once. We have a coke can tied to each hand line so that it makes a noise when the line is hit. I shined my flashlight on the spool and it was pulled to the stern stanchion in the cockpit, which I thought was impossible, because it shouldn't have been able to move from where we had it attached. I immediately grabbed the small diameter rope line (not fishing line) and started pulling it into the boat. No way was I going to reel it in. Whatever I had was giving me quite a fight. Normally when we catch a fish, its not that hard to land it. This one was. After a few minutes I finally got it near the transom, and unlike any other fish we've hauled in, this one was staying deep instead of floundering around on the surface. I shined my flashlight into the water, holding it in my teeth; and could see the luminous fish about 3-4 feet beneath the surface. Yes, luminous. It was glowing in the dark water; and it looked like it had two appendages sticking out of its eyes, like its eyes were separated from its body. (No, I wasn't drinking). I think it must have been a fish that lives in the bottom of the ocean, where luminous fish are common. At any rate, this fish was about 4 fee long and 2 feet wide from top to bottom. It was swimming like crazy, left and right, and then shot under the boat. On the way back the hand line got wrapped around the hydro generator, which I was afraid it might do. I immediately let the line go, raised the hydro generator out of the water, and with some difficulty unwound the line from around the hydro. All the while this is going on the fish is still on the line so getting the hydro generator unwrapped was not easy with a 4 foot fish pulling on it. And since everyone else on board was sleeping, this was a one man job. As I finally got the hydro unwound the hand line went screaming thru my left hand, cutting the skin at the base of the little finger of my left hand where the finger is attached to your hand. A very nice rope burn, right thru the skin. Then the line went slack and the fish was gone. I pulled the line in and looked to see if the lure was still attached to the line, and it was. However, it looked like a pit bull had chewed on it and then spit it out. It was still functional, just not pretty anymore. I was kind of happy the fish escaped the frying pan because it had put up such a noble fight; and I really didn't want to kill a luminous fish. That just didn't seem right. So I guess that's a fish story with a happy ending. I was happy to have had the pleasure of seeing a luminous fish and fighting the good fight; and the fish was happy because it could go back where it came from...deep and alive. I felt a little like the Cuban fisherman in Hemingway's 'Old Man and the Sea' who caught a large marlin with a hand line; only to lose it to some sharks.

At 6:35 AM there are so many clouds that its almost a solid overcast. The wind is 14/15 knots and we're sailing 5.8 knots thru the water and 6.0 knots over the land. All of the sudden the wind throttles up to 20 knots and the speed goes from 4.4 to 8+ knots. Then it starts to rain, lightly. I zip up the canvas insert that connects the dodger and bimini; close the main cabin hatch; and zipper up the front dodger window. And then hurry below and get my foul weather jacket on.

At 7:04 AM another line of low clouds is fast approaching from dead astern. Another squall line. I can see the rain coming down from it and wonder if it will rain itself out before it gets to the boat. There is no discernible sunrise this morning due to all the clouds on the horizon. But its light out now, enough for me to see and write in my log book without a flashlight.

At 8:00 AM the wind is 7/11 knots and we're sailing at 4.1 knots thru the water and 4.8 knots over the land. Our COG (Course Over Ground) is 322 degrees, 48 degrees north of our rumb line. We need to jibe but I'm not going to wake Joel to do so. I'll wait until he gets up at 9:45 AM.

It starts to rain, lightly, at 8:07 AM and I retreat under the dodger and stand on the top step leading into the cabin down below, to stay dry.

From 8:50 AM to 9:06 AM I dismantle and then fix the starboard hand fishing line reel. It was jammed, so I had to take it apart and re-assemble it. The wind is now 7/9 knots and we're sailing at 3.4 knots thru the water and 3.6 knots over the land. Our COG is 276. As long as we can keep the sail full we'll sail. We don't have enough fuel to motor all the way to Brazil.

Bradley from Alpheratz hosts the 10:00 AM net. I hear on the net that the boats in front of us have more wind than we do.

Breakfast at 10:20 AM consists of 4 scrambled eggs; cut up potato; chilled fruit cocktail; and brown bread...for Joel and me. Jeanine has oat meal and tea with honey. The eggs for breakfast are the last of the unrefrigerated 'bilge' eggs. They're kept in the bilge, in plastic egg containers; just under the floor boards in the main cabin.

Another squall passes by us right to left, just missing us.

Our noon position is 13 degrees, 42 minutes South; 19 degrees, 37 minutes West; and we're 1,098 nautical miles from Brazil. We traveled 114 miles from noon yesterday at an average speed of 4.75 knots. Not good, but better than motoring.

From 12:05 PM to 12:25 PM we jibe the whisker pole from port to starboard. The boom is now on port.

We turn on the generator at 12:28 PM; and from then until 1:32 PM I type a log and do some emails. Afterwards we try, twice, to send the log and emails on the satellite phone, but without success.

We took down the whisker pole and put the spinnaker back up at 2:10 PM.

At 2:23 PM the wind is 4/5 knots and we're sailing at 3.6 knots thru the water and 4.6 knots over the land.

We have a midday meal of micro wave popcorn at 2:45 PM.

I nap from 3:10 PM to 4:00 PM; and then Joel naps from 4:00 PM until...?

At 4:33 PM the wind is 6/7 knots and we're sailing at 5.1 knots thru the water and 5.2 over the land. Our COG is 304 degrees.

Joel makes the pronouncement, 'This is painful,' at 5:16 PM; meaning the light winds and slow boat speed are not fun.

From 5:08 PM to 5:45 PM we jibe the spinnaker from port to starboard.

At 5:44 PM we get a hit on our rod and reel. Joel grabs the rod and starts to put more tension on the 'brake.' But its too late. The line spins off the reel like there is no tomorrow. A really BIG fish had hit the line. In less than 10 seconds all the line if off the reel. Good bye fish! We could never have brought such a big fish in; nor would we want to. Our freezer and refrigerator aren't big enough to hold a huge fish, even after being cut up into fillets.

We turn the generator off at 5:55 PM as we're going fast enough to make electricity with the hydro generator. A few minutes later I see us pass a Portuguese man o War jelly fish to starboard. The first one we've seen in the Atlantic Ocean.

Dinner at 6:35 PM is spaghetti with pasta sauce for Jeanine and me; and spaghetti and butter/garlic for Joel. Joel prefers not to eat spaghetti with red sauce. Its a hernia thing. With the spaghetti we have baked beans with pork sausages and BBQ sauce; and chilled sliced pineapple.

Bradley from Alpheratz hosts the 7:00 PM net. We report that we're sailing the rumb line for only the second time since leaving St. Helena; and our two fish stories. Twelve boats are heard by us on the net; out of 18.

I re-bandage my left small finger with a large dressing like band aid, surgical tape and masking tape. The latter is used because its hard to keep the other stuff stuck on my hand. The hand is infected, even though I applied an antibiotic ointment immediately after the rope burn this morning.

We rolled in the 2 hand lines for the night at 7:47 PM; and then we all share some coffee liquor that I'd bought in St. Helena. A sunset cocktail, if you would. The sun sets at 7:54 PM, but with clouds on the horizon there is no green flash...again.

At 8:02 PM the wind is 11/13 knots and we're sailing at 5.5 knots thru the water and 5.7 knots over the land. There are squalls all around us. Its going to be a tense and dangerous night flying a spinnaker. We can't afford to have it get damaged in a squall. When the winds increase we have to sail 'deep,' which slows the boat speed a little and lessens the apparent wind.

A small squall line hits us at 8:30 PM,with winds of only 15 knots.

Joel goes to bed at 9:00 PM. The wind is 9/11 knots and we're sailing at 5.8 knots thru the water and 6.1 knots over the land. Its cloudy, with only a few stars visible. But its clearing behind us, and the moon is bright overhead. Jupiter and Venus are both intermittingly visible.

At 10:00 PM the wind is 12 knots and we're sailing at 5.7 knots thru the water and 6.4 knots over the land.

During my 9:00 PM to midnight watch, the winds have been from 12-19 knots. When the wind gets to 15 knots I sail deeper to slow the boat down. I'm averaging speeds of 6.4 to 8.0 knots.

Its Super Bowl Sunday and I miss being home watching the game, the 'new' commercials and the half time show.

At 11:00 PM the wind is 14/16 knots and we're sailing at 6.3 knots thru the water and 6.8 knots over the land.

Joel relieves me at midnight and we drop the spinnaker and go wing-on-wing, with the whisker pole on port and the boom and mainsail on starboard. We sail a knot slower without the spinnaker up, but its safer doing so an night with only one person on watch.

Brian Fox



Previous | Next