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American Spirit II - Day 242; Not Much Wind,; A Bird Visits Us; Frigate Mackerel, Crocodile and Wild Boar for Dinner; and Another Blood Red Sunrise & Sunset; Thursday, September 4, 2014



David got up at 6:00 AM and I slept in until 6:30 AM.



At 7:05 AM we had another blood red sunrise. No green flash, but a great sunrise. The horizon is obscured because of a little fog or heavy mist in the air.



At 7:23 AM the Merlyn Victory, a 148 foot tug (?) was towing a barge, according to our AIS. It was heading to Darwin at 5.7 knots. It had passed us abeam earlier when Jeanine was on watch and was now 21 miles away and astern of us.



I put 4 fishing lines in the water, as we approached two areas where fish were jumping and birds were flying down to get them. The wind was 4.5 knots, our speed thru the water 6.0 knots and our speed over the land 5.8 knots. Polaris is 4.9 miles astern and starboard of us. Sirocco is... off to our right somewhere, not sure where. Out of AIS range.



At 7:30 AM one of our hand lines rang out. We had a coke can attached to the line and when the reel turned and let line out the can made a noise, like its supposed to. I grabbed the line and pulled in the fish. After getting our Australian fish book out we determined that the fish was a Frigate Mackerel, AKA 'little tuna.' About two pounds. I fillet the fish and got two nice size pieces out of it. We'll blacken it and have it for dinner tonight.



At 8:00 AM we were visited by a large sea bird, I think a boobie, 18 inches long, that was dark brown in color with a white breast, and a 4 inch ivory colored beak. The dark hair on its head looked like an afro. The bird landed on the life line on the port bow, couldn't quite keep its balance, then flew away. Ten minutes later it was back and landed on the bimini. And there it stayed. Its not a good sign for a bird to land on your boat in the day time as they usually feed then. Most birds seem to land on boats I've been on in the past at night, then leave at sunrise. Not this one. It stayed all day and all night. More later.



Ghost conducted the 9:00 AM net, with each boat giving its position, wind direction and wind speed. Not encouraging as nobody had enough wind to sail without motoring.



Breakfast at 9:30 AM consisted of scrambled eggs, cut up potato, chilled fruit cocktail and raisin bread.



We turned the engine off at 10:09 AM. The wind was 8 knots and our speed 4.3 knots. We put up a low side (tri-reacher) pole and our speed picked up to 5.0 knots.



Our noon position was 11 degrees, 42 minutes South; and 126 degrees, 10 minutes East.



Around 1:15 PM the Custom's two engine aircraft named 'Sea Lion' called a number of Rally boats asking their port of registration, last destination and next destination.



At 1:27 PM Polaris was 1.1 miles aft to starboard; and Boingo Alive was 12 miles aft to port. The wind was 7-9 knots and our speed was 4.4 knots.



At 3:18 PM I turned the boat 20 degrees left to get some more air in the sails. Our speed had dropped to 3.3 knots. Now it jumped up to 4.6 knots.



At 3:32 PM I turned the engine back on, took the tri-reacher pole down but kept the jib and mainsail up.



Dinner at 5:00 PM was a 5 course meal: Frigate Mackerel cooked in the over; Crocodile Steak and Wild Boar Steak cooked on the grill by chef Joel; wild rice; and chilled fruit cocktail.



During the 6:00 PM net hosted by Ghost 10 boats checked in, including Folie a Deux who had left two days before the fleet.



Three porpoises swam by the boat at 6:30 PM 50 yards off our port aft beam. At 6:50 PM three large porpoises swam under and in front of the bow for a few minutes.



At sunset there was no green flash but it was magnificent nonetheless. Another blood red fireball setting into the Timor Sea.



After typing up the previous day's log after dinner, I sent the log and other emails via the SSB at 7:31 PM; to the Philippines 1,179 miles away.



David saw a shooting star at 7:55 PM that was 15 to 20 degrees above the horizon, starboard side and visible for 3 seconds. At first he thought it was an airliner.



I napped from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM, then at the beginning of my watch Joel and I went over the route we were going to take to pass thru the Sahul Sand Banks. At 9:30 PM I talked to Joel and we decided to bypass the shallow area and steer 30 degrees to starboard and then turn left onto a heading of 270 degrees. It was 10 miles or 1 1/2 hours out of our way, but a less stressful sail.



Its now 10:00 PM and our big bird is still with us on the bimini. It's been there for 14 hours now. Obviously its not feeling well or is very tired.



A fog set in after sunset. Another good reason to bypass the Sahul Sand Banks.



At 10:42 PM the wind was 2/3 knots. The seas were calm, almost like glass. Our speed was 6.3 knots.



David and I stayed on watch until 1:30 PM; and Joel stood watch until 5:00 AM or whenever we turn left around the Sahul Sand Banks.



Brian Fox


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