04:00 I rise for my first watch of the day, make a mug of black tea with lemon , grab a piece of cold quiche and come topside. There is plenty of wind from the east south east. We rumble along at six knots under just the poled out Genoa on a port tack. At 07:00 Captain shakes out the reef, rolls out the main on the port side and puts the staysail tight in the middle. The wind is steadily creeping back to the north. I make coffee, serve it with the ubiquitous granola, fruit and yogurt and we savour the morning. Big discussion about weather on ssb today...no conclusion...each weather router seems disassociated from the other. It seems too soon to know what the weather will be at Richard’s Bay coast anyway..so, we concentrate on doing our best to round the south of Madagascar. Two more days til our approach to Cap Andavaka. We agree to keep our speed consistent with keeping up with the fleet, which is not a problem in this morning’s fresh breeze. After chores are done I boil potatoes and eggs. Two of the biggest taters I split aka baked potato style and cover with Gouda slices and the wee bit of last night’s leftover stew. Tortilla chips on the side, water in our big mugs. This sufficed for lunch. Then we alternated naps and reading until I got up and make potato salad. First, I put into a medium sized bowl; 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish, one cup of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, three chopped green onions, three small stalks of celery chopped, one large chopped tomato and two peeled, chopped hard boiled eggs, then I cubed the still hot potatoes right in top, and stirred it all up, sprinkle a bit of Lawry’s seasoning salt, chilli powder and black pepper on top. We ate some, southern style, still warm, with tomato basil crackers, and split a bottle of elderflower tonic with lemon slices floating in it for our afternoon snack. Now the wind teases the backside of the genny and it can’t be avoided any longer. We swap the pole to the port side, and since the wind is so light now, just pole out the Genoa with one reef in it, leave the main, still on port too, but harden it up and crank up the yanmar for a few rpms to keep our speed above six knots. We fished all afternoon, to no avail, so after evening radio, we ate a colourful medley of stir fried veggies with basil and lemon sauce on a bed of rice, without fish. Evening routine; plastic down just a little (regretted not putting it all down at 23:00 when soaked by a very annoying unexpected wave), fish lines put away, rigging checked, lines tightened, sunset watched and applauded, showers, and Captain took his 19:00 watch. I came up with a mug of black tea and a bowl of plain yogurt at 22:00. Wind was squirrely, we were surfing like mad, decided to put main mostly away...just a few feet out to lend stability to the poled-out Genoa. I took the readings, looked at ships on AIS, adjusted course for current, measured Madagascar (130 miles to starbrd), noted that the high light clouds scudding across the moon made a perfect rainbow around it...(pretty to look at, but disturbing in that it can be a portent of rough weather), and settled in to write this. We were surfing along quite nicely when bam! A wave came from the side! Straight into the cockpit! What a bother! I put the plastic down and began mopping up seawater. Bam! Another wave hit us broadside..wind now 23 knots. Clink-crash sounded from below..the distinctive music of glass objects dancing about. After a stern admonition to Pi to hold his course, I ducked into the galley to find the drinkware drawer out of its socket! Fortunately it is only two inches above the floor, and lined with plastic bumbers, so no casualties, just a jammed drawer half in half out. Poor Captain had to be awakened to lend his strength as I could neither close it or pull it out. He was incredulous that a wave could have knocked it out of place..said the latch must not have been properly engaged. No matter..he’s back asleep and I’m back in the cockpit marvelling at the tremendous waves rolling under the boat. With most of the main away we are not yawing about like a drift racer any more, just gently rising and falling to each crest. I worry briefly about the risk of pitch poling. Then I am reassured by thinking about the shape of the keel...8 tons of lead encapsulated in a long keel that is cut away at the forefoot, well back from the short not quite bowsprit nose. My mind seesaws to the 73 pound rocna anchor and the 210 lbs of chain...wishing that stuff was in the stern, except, it’s always good to have an anchor ready to deploy..no it is good where it is at on the bow...enough! I look at Orion with his hounds chasing the hare, and wonder is Taurus chasing them? Moon is so bright it’s hard to tell. It’s time for the midnight reading, another day across the Indian Ocean completed on the Sweet Dream.
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