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Peristera - Unexpected fishing




As everybody with dreams of crossing oceans, I have read many books about other sailors and sailings. When we realized that we were running low on diesel, I remembered stories about cargoships throwing out canisters of diesel, in the middle of the ocean, to needy sailors. For several days we have searched for big ships along the horizon, and (this is the modern world) on the plotter. Yesterday we saw a cargoship 20 miles away, but I didnt dare to call them, they were too far away. But today we spotted Mary Jean II, 4,5 miles away, heading towards us. I swallowed, and picked up the VHF. ?Mary Jean II, this is Peristera, the sailing yacht in front of you. Do you happen to have some diesel to spare?? Mary Jean II, a motor yacht, 60 x 12 meter, asked us to stand by, and after five minutes they called back. ?Peristera, this is the captain of Mary Jean II. We will alter our course to you. Keep your speed and course and we will come on your port side and throw two canisters of diesel in the water?. We rolled in our sails, started the engine, tied two persons to the swimming platform and stood ready with our cameras when the shining blue Mary Jean II came closer with probably the owner on the upper deck and the staff on the lower. Two young guys in white shirts dropped two canisters tied together with two floating devices. We were all waving and shouting as they passed, and I reversed so we could reach the canisters and get them onboard. I called them again to say that we had luckily caught the precious fish, and thanked them again. ?We are also on our way to St Lucia,? they answered, ?so you can give back the canisters there, together with some beer?, the captain said, and we all agreed on that. / Linda

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