Starting off the journey with stomach problems at both ends, sailing along the African coast and then start your own route put's us behind and... lonely. The rest of the fleet is 100 miles away.
We haven't had any radio contact for almost a week. Email with friends and family back home is great, but we need some reassurance that we are at least in the right waters.
We have probably seen more ships than anybody else, but they have no ARC flag and do not want to chat. So today my face was all smile, our boats name was called up! SALSA! With a wonderful Spanish soft voice.
YES! WE ARE HERE! WHO ARE YOU?
- Salsa, Salsa, Salsa, this is Heart Beat, over.
No 234 a Spanish participant was only 10 miles from us. They had no AIS transponder but a receiver.
- How has it been? Over.
- Dreadful start with health problems but now we are fine, over.
- Oh, we have a doctor on board, can we help? over
- We have a doctor as well over here (smile) over
So we realize that at this very moment it must be fully covered with health sevice on 18 N 29W
We talk about the weather forecast and what to do, both decide it is better to go south a couple of degrees before friday.
A couple of hours later we can see each other. The boats are so small, they appear and disappear in the big waves. Nutshells with a small sail up, wobbling back and fore.
Thank you Heart Beat!
You made our day!