Mischief - Mischief making : Log 75 Further adventures of S/Y Mischief through the eyes and ears of Chas Baynes

Wednesday, 22nd August 2018 - Passage to Darwin, across Gulf of Carpentaria

The boat was rolling all over the place with a 20-25 knot wind from the east coupled with a steadily building sea over the course of the night so off-watch sleeping was an issue again - I am starting to get tired as this continues.

I got up for my 0600 watch and my cabin looked like I had been wrestling with Giant Haystacks! But at least the wind had abated somewhat and with it the waves, so I shook out a reef but although we couldn't quite sail to our intended course being dead down-wind again a later gybe put us near enough.

Another ARC yacht, Pinta came onto the AIS screen and we saw her sailing serenely five miles off, dodging the same ships as ourselves - there are a lot of them about as we appear to be in the main lanes from Indonesia and from the west. All the fleet must now be on their way to make Darwin before the latest 29th August - everyone has been warned not to leave it too late as this leg over the top of Cape York and across is longer than it seems.

The wind continued to drop down to 10 knots giving us a speed reduced to 5 knots over the ground but our 24 hour noon to noon mileage came in at 158 an average of just under 7 knots so not too bad at all. The next 24 hours is likely to be less looking at the forecast lighter breeze even though the barometer dropped three millibars in five hours, down to 1003 which is the lowest it has been for ages.

We have had a couple of bites on the fishing lines, although they have all escaped. One, which I thought we had hooked solidly dived down and I tried to pull it in, but it would not budge and tore itself away leaving great cuts in the rubber lure and teeth marks down the trace line again - it must have been something big, too big for us! We did have fish for dinner though as I had taken the Spanish Mackerel we bought in Bowen out of the freezer and made a rather splendid fish risotto with it, and very good it was too even if I say so myself. Dave reckoned that I was the only person he knows whose second helping was larger than his first which may be true but there was a lot of it to eat and didn't want to appear greedy by going back for thirds!

At 3 am we had some small ducks flying around the boat squeaking and seemingly trying to land. Later Neen noticed a small tail feather through the perspex of the bimini and on closer inspection there sat three black and white sea-birds hitching a lift - I hope we are going the right way for them. I certainly hope they don't leave us a 'tip' otherwise Dave will go mad!

Thursday, 23rd August 2018 - Gulf of Carpentaria to Darwin

The phosphorescence in the wake was really vivid before light and I noticed a very strange pattern to it on occasion - it was a dolphin playing by the bow, with a rapid 'S' bend of silver light as it carved its way under the surface. The wind had dropped to less than 10 knots and our speed is now looking to extend our ETA in Darwin to later on Sunday the 26th or even into the early hours on the 27th. Our noon to noon mileage was 130 miles, an average reduced to 5.4 knots.

When Dave came on watch for his 1 pm stint immediately the wind increased as did the speed up to 6 knots - what he really meant to say was "now I'm steering we are going faster". Pure vanity!

There was nothing to do today, except read. There were no wind shifts, no waves to worry about, no ships, just a constant 10 knots of wind from behind with the spinnaker up to make the most of it. We do have Pinta off our starboard beam on a converging course also flying coloured sails so we should be able to wave to them in about three hours, excepting that it will be dark!

We are having sausages for tea which Dave is cooking on deck on the gas barbeque. I have prepared some boiled potatoes, some peas and a rich onion gravy in readiness. The trouble is the sausages are rolling about on the hot plate and Dave is chasing them about the deck as they roll off; its like herding cats!

After dinner Wendy, sat in the cockpit, asked if anyone would like a coffee. "I'll make it ", I volunteered. "No, Charlie you cooked dinner. Neen, put the kettle on". The true art of delegation!

We watched the sun go down on the clear horizon. I used the binoculars and was surprised to see the mystical 'green flash' quite clearly which the others missed with the naked eye. I have seen it twice before but both in the Caribbean.

It had been a perfect days' sailing even though there was not really enough wind and it continued into the late evening - we were literally sailing into the sunset carrying the spinnaker into the darkness as there was little prospect of the wind coming up suddenly. But at 2100 we gave up - the wind had dropped further, and we were down to 2-3 knots, just not enough to get us to Darwin by 26th, so the spinnaker was dropped and on with the engine unfortunately as it was so peaceful up to that point. Mind you, we had rock and roll playing on the stereo so Neen and I were playing air guitar and bouncing about as we headed west under a full moon. Bliss!