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Ngahue IV - Our first flying fish!



Usually on an ocean passage, the first job of the day on deck is to clear the flying fish that have inadvertently landed on board during the previous night. Sailing out of Bermuda, we didn't spot any flying fish in the water, and after our first night at sea discovered a deck completely bereft of the little critters (coming into Bermuda we had 4 really tiny flying fish on deck - you wonder how they managed to fly that high to land on us, as we have a pretty high free board, especially forward of the mast).Innocently we thought that flying fish had been replaced by Portuguese Men-of-War 5which don't leap out of the water and end up on your deck); so we thought no more of it.

Last night, however, Laura had heard some suspicious flapping on deck, but during my normal morning deck and rigging check I hadn't seen anything. Having jury-rigged a block and tackle to our backstay (the hydraulic system of our back stay tensioner has sprung a tiny leak around a rubber seal) and moved some lines around, I'd noticed some flying fish scales, but no fish. So he must have got back into the water, I thought. Well, apparently not. Laura wanted to take a picture of my jury rig and spotted a big and fat, but ever so dead flying fish behind a fender. He has since been given a ceremonial mariner's burial at sea.

Ngahue IV continues to lead the ARC fleet from behind - even Selkie is now but a small white spot on the horizon, and when Ruby Rose's AIS is within range, we can see them (electronically) approximately 25 Miles to our left.
And so our journey to Horta continues. With thanks to the ARC team for quickly and efficiently warning Atlantic Yacht Services that our backstay tensioner will need some attention :-)).




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