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Brainstorm - 14/1/22 A squirrels first time times 6



The day had started as is it ended; heavy winds with a not so easily controllable wobbly womper on a spinaker pole and dolphins being splash asses around us but we knew this was all going to change.

 

Like every other day we had a call with our weather boy Jelle back NL (who keeps track of us and the weather systems around us). He usually provides detailed insights on the weather, tells us what strategy is best for us and gives waypoints for us to follow. We in return ask him a shit load of questions, thank him, hang up, make our own summary and decide on something entirely different. Today was like any other call with him; he suggested north west, we went south west. By now we’re curious when he’s going to ask us to update him on what we’re actually going to do so he can ask us questions 😂.

 

Anyhow, going north or south we all knew we’re heading for a winds less patch the size of around two days motoring. Something uplifting for us because this also means less waves, time to swim, fish and do some more thorough maintenance. Like clockwork the wind started to drop from between 15 and 18 knots to 5 and 3 at 1 pm.

 

As we turned on the engine we lowered the main sheet for the first time to apply 2 patches on either side where it’s sheafing against the lower 2 of 3 stages of our rigging. An absolute **** job as this is performed with stretched arms above your head while leaning against the massive 6meter aluminium boom that is rocking from side to side at the hight of your face. Climbing on top of and inside the boom proved to be the best strategy with a minimum risk of being flung of the boot if Hein behind the ruther ficked up something. All went well, the patches look neat and our main sheet has some extra protection against ripping on the rigging.

 

When Michiel assembled the fishing rod the rest went inside in search of “the cruisers handbook for fishing”. The later is an easy job if you know where to look but after 4 days we’re starting to feel like squirrels for the first time.  Knowing they have hidden a nut but -with over 50 drawers, bench buckets, top and lower hatches- no clue where exactly that was… 🐿🤨🥜. Eijck was fishing long before the book was found and the squirrels had a good look at their nuts.

 

The ocean turned into a clear clean sheet while fishing, allowing us to see strange spicks and Portuguese man’o’wars sailing by. The later are cool jellyfish that have a see trough sail above the water! Menno and I were fast asleep when the shouting of the first catch of the day didn’t wake either of us. It was a Bonito (little tuna)! There had been two more bites but both broke free without taking the lure or hook. By the time I woke there was fresh sashimi in the fridge and a bottle of white wine in the freezer 😋.

 

The ocean was so calm Hein and Michiel decided this was the day for a swim. I fear sharks and swimming in waters deeper than where I can’t see the bottom let alone 4.000 meters of blue… However, with no shower for 4 days now, a water temperature of 22 and one person already in the water, a quick first dip of the trip was so tempting! 🏊🧼💪 Washing 4 days of filth away with saltwater shampoo and another dip is a relief I won’t forget quickly.

 

Back on board we grabbed a cold beer and went to the front to enjoy chasing the sun towards Saint Lucia. But not for long: we had another bite on the rod we’d almost forgotten. Menno took this one and was able to keep it on the line while reeling it in: another yet bigger Bonito! Sashimi lunch tomorrow it is.

 

While cleaning our second catch and discussing this would be THE day for whale spotting Menno did spot something I first thought to be the whale’s snout. Surprisingly, it turned out to be the back of a sea turtle! What an odd but magnificent creature, born on a tropical beach, out here in the middle of nowhere appearing to be munching on a jellyfish when it lifted its head to check us out while drifting by and hopefully to return once more to that beach where it came from to restart the circle in multitude!

 

Writing this the wind has dropped to around nill. It remains a surreal experience to witness forceful winds and big waves in the morning only to motor across a mirror reflecting the 86% full moon and stars at midnight.

 

You now know what the first time times 6 are for these squirrels.



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