Viva - Log Day 9 - Wind Up Wind Down, Sail In Sail Out

Greetings from Viva!

The past four days have shown us the advantages of having the right amount of wind from the right direction and of having a working engine. Due to some contrary winds, we have alternately experienced the best sailing of the leg so far along side hours of listening to the drone of the diesel lull us into a motor stupor. However, when the wind has decided to grace our presence, it has been from behind, the position that Viva likes best. A few days ago, while running on a nice broad reach, Viva hit her personal best on this leg, with a top speed of 8.4 knots. Moments before sitting down to write this entry, we set up the whisker pole for the first time since leaving Bermuda, and are now flying wing-to-wing, taking advantage of a WSW 10-15 knot breeze that is currently blowing us straight along our rhumb line to the Azores. We´re enjoying it while we can, because after looking at the NOAA Grib files this morning, it appears that tomorrow might be another opportunity for the motor to stretch its legs.

In addition to the up and down sailing, we have seen the Atlantic become a wildlife wonderland in recent days. After seeing nothing but thousands of Portuguese men of war and some loner birds the first five days out of Bermuda, the Atlantic has opened herself to us recently. There was the pod of whales that could be seen clearing their blowholes in the near distance; the 15-20 dolphins that followed us all day, swimming close, darting across Viva's bow, and jumping her wake whenever they were feeling frisky; the large turtle that was simply taking a rest on the surface, floating lazily along, only raising its head after we had passed as if to say, "What brings you all the way out here?" And of course the night in the doldrums when the bioluminescence put on an amazing show. With the ocean looking like glass, Viva was throwing out sheets of greenish-white liquid light that would quickly dissolve into a million brilliant pinpoints. With 6-9 days of sailing remaining before we reach the Azores, I'm hopeful that mother ocean still has some creature delights left for us.

With visions of showers and cheeseburgers dancing in my head, this has been another installment of ..."B's Deep Thoughts aboard Viva."