Todd and Alex, our two Americans on board celebrated Thanksgiving today. Alex, by cooking his first ever Thanksgiving dinner and Todd by being the first on board to hoist the red spinnaker and use the new bowsprit!
The day began with a review of the previous night's events. There were two incidents that highlighted recent advances in navigation at sea which have hugely benefited the amateur sailor. One is the AIS (Automatic Identification System). Boats that have this device are alerted when another boat is within a specific radius. Overnight, two ARC boats were in close proximity. Too close for comfort. Each was made aware of the other's presence through a warning light and beep and could then check the CPA (closest point of approach) vis a vis the position, distance and bearing (direction) of the other boat. The captain can then determine if there is a risk of collision and take avoiding action if necessary.
The second significant advance is the improvement in weather forecasting at sea. A rumour being spread among the fleet via VHF radio suggested that there was a major storm ahead and that boats should flee to the Cape Verde Islands for shelter. However, by downloading the GRIB files (gridded binary files) and over-laying them on a navigation chart, Anna was able to determine that this forecast only applied to the boats that had taken the northern route and that Emily Morgan's course was well south of the forecasted 20 -30 knot winds and 10-15 foot swells. Indeed, as Anna had predicted the winds petered out in our sector of the ocean and we had no more than two foot swells.
So much so that the red spinnaker only lasted until noon. The lighter airs did not fill the sail and it collapsed instead of powerfully pulling the boat along. It had to be 'snuffed'. This involved pulling a 'sock' down over the enormous sail to enclose it in a long narrow cylinder of material and we then bundled it into it's sail bag ready for the next hoist. Bones was delighted with the success of the new bowsprit he had fashioned from a discarded pole and had fitted to the bow so as to run the spinnaker sheet clear of the pulpit.
Under engine and auto pilot, the crew slumbered or kept watch. The lookout was rewarded with a visit from a pod of dolphins and a swim past by a group of pilot whales. There had been no cetaceans the previous day and we thought we were no longer on their migration path so this was an added bonus. The day became languorous as the sun arched across the sky and the temperature rose. It was the first truly warm day and the sea was a teal shade of blue. We altered course from south-westerly to westerly and the sound of the water along the hull changed. We previously had a musical quartet from the sequence of two bow waves then a pause followed by two stern waves. We now had a single long swoosh from the bow wave followed by a melodic light fizzing of frothy water. The sweltering galley slaves, Alex and Elizabeth, toiled over the turkey, cranberry stuffing, roast sweet potatoes, green beans with mushrooms and bacon and Anna recreated her Swedish great-grandmother Constance's apple tart.
At our thanksgiving dinner we gave thanks for family and friends and for the opportunity to participate in this transatlantic crossing
. and thanks for the advances in navigation that made this a safe endeavour.
Elizabeth
DSCN0089