Greetings from yacht Ensemble!
It has been an eventful 24 hours as we approach Galapagos.
The winds have been variable - but fortunately not the duldrums - with some decent sailing in winds of up to 12 knots. To make life interesting - the winds (and the currents) seem to come from all directions - with a couple of hours of good wind, punctuated by a squall (although we still haven't got wet yet), and then nothing for a couple of hours. The seas have been nicely flat - and we have made pretty good progress. At one point we were actually sailing faster than the wind (at 7 knots) - although I suspect this was with the aid of 1.5 knots of current.
In preparation for crossing the Equator we decided we must please Neptune by making an effort and providing some sort of offering to the sea Gods (after all, maybe it would change my luck with the fishing). Magali got dressed up as an alluring Mermaid (Feb13b 011), and we sacrificed six cobs of corn and a glass of wine. Naturally we celebrated at sunset (a little early - but pragmatic).
We actually crossed the Equator at just after 2am (watch change) - so conveniently both of us were awake. At the time we were surrounded by birds (which is weird because I didn't think birds usually flew at night). Magali initially thought they were some sort of sea bat - as they were making a 'clicking' noise - and was worried they get caught in her hair. She was much relieved when I photographed one and showed it clearly to be a sea bird. I suspect they were attracted to some sort of bait that was in turn attracted to the luminescence of the water as we made our way. Still, the only time we've seen them - and a coincidence that it just happened to be exactly as we crossed the Equator.
We also had a booby experience (aside from the wardrobe malfunction while we were taking Mermaid photos). One persistent adolescent decided it was better to sail than fly and hitched a ride for a few hours (despite sail changes and numerous photos). Fortunately for him 'chicken' is off the menu...
Yesterday's fishing was also a disappointment. After the loss of another lure in the morning we had nothing all day (other than a few more dolphin sightings... if I didn't know better I'd think this was no coincidence!). I pulled the rods in last night wondering what 'hoo doo' we had to break to turn around the fishing jinx. Then I remembered our Atlantic experience: we only ever caught fish when we had started preparing dinner for that night. So we put the defrosted steaks away for another night - planning to eat them tomorrow. Sure enough, first thing this morning - I landed a nice tuna. The drought is broken. Champagne, caviar and sushi for Valentines day it is!
We should reach Baquerizo Moreno, Galapagos islands this evening in time for a sunset Valentines celebration.
Cheers
Dave