Greetings from yacht Ensemble!
We are now over half way - with 1400nm to go. The winds have dropped to 10-12knots from the ESE - and with slight seas it is very 'cruisy' sailing (albeit a little slow for my liking).
We have been sailing 'goose wing' with the main and genakker - and even managed the jib up for a while. But with only 10 knots of wind we can only manage 6-7 knots of speed.
We think we are still further south than most of the fleet - and they are enjoying better winds from a storm to the north near the equator.
Unfortunately we have had no luck on the radio net - so we don't know where the other vessels of the fleet are - and on the last day when we suggested that they might change to a higher frequency so we all might hear better we were told it was 'too hard' and there was no process for this. At the end of the day it is no great hardship - and in a way it adds to the atmosphere with the feeling of being alone in the big ocean - but you wonder about the sense of it when the fleet has an agreed frequency set including the higher frequencies for just this sort of scenario - but is not using them and no one seems to know the process to change them while en route.
The good news is that at our current boat speed it is much better for trawling. As well as our usual assortment of 6 flying fish - we managed to hook a 4ft barracuda at dusk. Once he had been given a 'welcome on board drink' using our fish sauce (vodka) - we decided Magali didn't have a suitable recipe for him - so would let him go. In traditional Rex the Fisherman fashion (Australian TV fishing show) - I was going to give him a kiss and throw him back in when he made a lung at my nose! Good thing he missed. So moral of the story is don't try and kiss anything with teeth!
For lunch Magali cooked homemade pizza - and for dinner we managed some pasta vongelli, after having Joel's homos and wine for sunset drinks.
Hoping for stronger winds,
Dave & Magali
13 March 2012 019