The silver path of moon light gave way to a rose tinted dawn on Tuesday. Another calm morning of motoring with the bonus of great visibility. A line of over a hundred dolphins overtook Emily Morgan. A group of inquisitive youngsters diverted towards us, jumping up from the sea and twirling and flopping back down with a noisy splash. Adult dolphins then joined them and they spent the next half hour riding our bow wave and diving beneath the boat. After a three-hour interlude there came a pod of pilot whales in a synchronised procession, gracefully breaking the surface with their black fins and curved backs. They passed in a northerly direction, purposeful and resolute. The day passed with further sightings of common and striped dolphins, mainly passing southwards, and another three pods of north bound pilot whales.
At last, before our Beef Bourguignonne dinner (thanks Clare!), the promised wind filled in. With over 10 knots of wind we poled out the genoa and set the mainsail, mizzen and staysail for down-wind sailing. The peace of sailing descended and Emily Morgan silently and gently glided through the night.
Elizabeth
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