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American Spirit II - Day 414; On our Way to Foraleza on Brazil's North Coast; Tuesday, February 24, 2015



One year ago today:

"Day 52; Swimming with White Tipped Sharks & Marine Iguana; Monday, February 24, 2014. Today was our earliest day yet on the M/V Fragata, with breakfast at 6:00 AM."

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Up at 6:30 AM. Joel up at 7:30 AM. Fireworks started across from channel at 7:31 AM. Big ones. Mortars with sound only, not colored stuff. A parade or something getting ready to get underway. I can see a lot of busses, but not the people they're dropping off.

Breakfast at 8:40 AM: eggs, potato, plums in syrup and brown bread. The plums are not a big hit.

I left with Vlado and Lupo form Civetta II to clear out. Took water taxi across channel; and then got into a land taxi. The driver didn't know where the Port Captain's office was, so he had to ask 4 different people where to go. He finally found it and we cleared out easily. The Merlyn of Poole crew was out clearing out also, but they had to do so with all crew members as they were doing an international clear out and we're doing a national one since we're not leaving the country yet. Merlyn is going directly to Grenada to have a new generator and a hydro generator installed.

I was back on the boat at 11:15 AM.

Joel had the boat ready to go, so at 12:18 PM we departed the dock and headed for Fortaleza, about 400 nautical miles away. We expect to be there Friday morning. Civetta II also departed, doing so at 12:38 PM as they had some difficulty untying from their mooring buoy. As we left the harbor we went thru 3 different colors of water. The first, from our channel, was dark and dirty and smelled of sewage. Plus it had a lot of plastic bags floating in it. The smell in the water didn't go away until we were 2-3 miles off shore. The second water color was turquoise and the 3rd a pretty blue. On the way from our marina to the open ocean we passed a small cruise ship tied up in our channel.

At 1:04 PM we passed our last channel marker for the port and turned left or north. The wind was 9/10 knots and we were motoring at 5.6 knots thru the water and 5.6 knots over the land at 1,600 RPM's. At around 1:30 PM we put our full mainsail and jib out, but kept the engine on; and motor sailed. There was no more current against us as we headed north. It was sunny, but big rain clouds were visible to our east.

At 2:30 PM we rolled the jib in and put 2 reefs in the mainsail as squalls were imminent. 'Reef early and often.' The cruise ship we saw earlier was coming up on our port side and disappeared into a large rain squall; passing us at 2:50 PM. The passenger ship was 591 long and called the 'Amaraza Journey.' We had a fishing boat on our starboard at the same time. The temperature started to drop as the air reached us from the squall. By 3:23 PM the squall was gone. We just missed the rain. A rainbow appeared on our starboard beam, with red, yellow, green and blue colors. It was fading fast. Then the cruise ship appeared out of the squall again 8 miles from us.

Joel napped from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM.

We saw a 2nd rainbow at 3:55 PM, a 'double ender.' Both ends of the rainbow were visible coming out of the ocean. Its colors were red, yellow, light green, blue and purple. A short while later another, very faint, rainbow started to form above the double ender. We then passed by a second squall, missing most of it.

I napped from 4:00 PM to 5:15 PM.

Dinner was at 6:20 PM and consisted of freeze dried Chicken with Rice; Smash instant garlic mashed potatoes; and green peas.

While Jeanine was washing the dishes the water faucet stopped working. I called Joel and he found the source of the problem. A water hose from our hot water heater had come undone. We had lost 25% of our water supply, about 14 gallons. And it had emptied into the bilge where I keep the unrefrigerated eggs. So the 'yokes' were swimming!

During the 7:00 PM net which I hosted Civetta II was 6 miles astern of us and Merlyn of Poole much further because they hadn't departed Recife until 4:00; about 3 1/2 hours after we did.

I napped from 7:30 PM to 8:45 PM. During that time period Joel had 2 showers come by and wash the boat. I relieved Joel at 8:53 PM. I rolled the jib up and put a 2nd reef in the mainsail. Our speed SOG dropped from 7.0 to 6.0. Less rock and roll, but still a lot of boat motion. It was solid overcast and we were 10 miles from shore. The moon was 1/4 full, but mostly obstructed by the clouds.

At 9:35 PM I passed a fishing boat close abeam to starboard; then saw two others to starboard further away.

At 10:00 PM the wind is 12/15 knots and we're moving at 5.7 knots thru the water and 6.3 knots over the land. We're motor sailing at 1,600 RPM's.

At 10:32 PM a ship called the Kota Buti, 591 feet, passed us 4 miles to starboard heading south. Its raining.

At 11:00 PM the wind is 18 knots and we're motor sailing thru the water at 6.1 knots and over the land at 7.0 knots. The rain chased me to the top of the stairs under the dodger at 11:15 PM as there was nowhere to sit in the cockpit without getting drenched.

I finished the book 'Arctic Fire' today. A suspense thriller that is better left not bought. A lousy plot and a horrible ending. I started a new book called 'Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End.' I'm sure my twin brother David has already read this book. I got the idea from Jenny on Merlyn of Poole.

Brian Fox
American Spirit II




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