Morning at 04:00. I make Earl Grey tea, black, in a yeti mug (the one without the Magnetic slider top...the magnets mess up the navigation compass!) Being still a little tharn from just waking up, I grab an apple granola bar to eat with the tea. The lazy southern cross is lying on its side, sparkling brilliantly, moon has gone to bed, not yet accustomed to this journey, and I sip the hot tea, devour the granola bar way too fast and marvel once again of the beauty of predawn magic at sea. We’ve sailed the dark hours under single reefed Genoa and single reefed main. With dawn, the wind which appears to work the night shift only in this part of the world, went to bed. We shook out the reefs, but dogging along at five knots wasn’t an option while trying to round Madagascar...on came the engine, as well...purring beautifully and keeping her cool. We ate yogurt and fresh berries with granola and sipped life-giving hot coffee. It was a beautiful day, all except not enough wind. We puttered about with chores in the morning; ssb net, laundry, minor repair on the aft head door handle, then ate leftover warmed up quiche slices and spinach salad with 1000 isle dressing for lunch. Naps were had, despite the slatting of the sails, then it was afternoon snack time...Schweppes lemonade again with tortilla chips, salsa, and triangle slices of raclette cheese. We spent the glorious afternoon motorsailing over the crystal blue sea under a brilliant blue sky, reading kindle books. Lars enjoying Louis La Amour’s ‘Utah Blaine’, and me cruising through Bernard Moitessier’s ‘The Long Way’. For supper I sliced a couple small beefsteaks thin, marinaded them in olive oil, lime juice, a hefty sprinkle of garlic powder, chilli powder, oregano flakes, and about a tablespoon of ground cumin. After two hours I added a can of chopped tomatoes, a beef bouillon cube, a half cup of water. This simmered during radio net, then a sliced carrot, sliced zucchini, a quartered red onion, a tablespoon of chopped green onions, a huge chopped tomato, and a chopped green pepper were added and simmered a few more minutes. We ate this life o Riley stew with the last of the French baguette for dipping, then put the Genoa on the pole and rolled the main and Hoyt away in preparation for the coming squalls. So happy we did, because at 20:00 here came the first of the squalls with 20 knots of wind...so easy to manage with just the poled out Genoa. Our nightwatch dessert snack was the last two Australian mint chocolate cookies. We are sad to see them go, but happy to enjoy them! Lars washes his down with our pure watermaker water, and I have zen tea. We are roughly halfway to Madagascar and I think, shiver me timbres.”..you got to move it move it”! We are...surfing at 8.2 knots.
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