Across the equator...at night

The first day or two out of Fortaleza was rather bumpy as we were
getting the swell on the beam or from the side in non-nauitical terms
,and fairly big swell it was.Every now and then a wave would smash
against the side and spray it's load over us.Now and then a wave would
"ankle tap" us causing an uneasy motion on the boat but from experience
I knew that this won't last long.As soon as we were back into the deeper
waters things would improve dramatically.But not before poor Bernhard
left his hatch open and had a wave crashing in.I did tell him when we
left to close his hatch and the next morning he opened it again.But our
beloved ocean is like this,all looks fine but just that one wave will
sit and wait for an opportunity like this to teach us.No damage was
incurred.On a previous trip to India my one crewmember was sitting in
his cabin working on his laptop and his hatch just slightly open when a
wave came over and wiped out his cellphone and laptop...ouch.It does get
hot out here at times and the temtation to open your hatch is great,but
even greater care is required to know when it is save to open
it.Yesterday the heat soared to 33*C and the humidity sitting at
87%.Fortunately the waves are fairly flat and we can open our hatches to
get some breeze ventilating through.

On Saturday night at 20h15 we crossed the equator.Whenever one crosses
the equator on a yacht for the first time you are initiated into the
small group of people that have done this.There are different ways of
being initiated and I normally give first timers a choice.You can go
through the whole dirty ritual of eggs,flour,syrup etc and even old
engine oil and grease in some cases,or you can swim across.I prefer the
latter for various reasons,mostly being more real to me.In a way this is
our way of saying thanks to Neptune for the protection so far and ask
for his favour in the Northern hemisphere as well.The crew also has to
make their choice a few days before the time,and one never knows exactly
at what time you will cross the equator.During the day it is not so
scary,at night it is a different kettle of fish altogether.The new
moon/dark moon makes it even more scary ,and one's imagination can play
all kinds of tricks on you ,if you let it.We also switch off all the
lights on the boat as we do not want to attract any unwanted attention
from the denizens of the deep.If you have any fear of darkness and/or
deep water this is the perfect opportunity to face those fears and
overcome them ,which is exactly what our crewmembers did.Very well done
to both of them.We tied two mooring lines to the back of the boat and at
the given moment they jumped into the water and swam across the equator
holding on to the mooring lines.both were understandably eleated
afterwards.

Currently we are right across the mouth of the Amazon river mouth,about
200nm offshore.Within the next two or three days the purpleblue water
will turn light brown as the river spews it's water into the ocean and
the current will eventually pick it up.For the last two days we have
hooked soliudly into the current and averaging 10nm per hour at the same
rpm's as previously.We expect to arrive in tthe Caribbean on Friday and
should reach our final destination Tortola by Tuesday next week,hand the
boat over on Wednesday and fly to out on Thursday morning.All aboard is
well and the delivery is hurrying to an end.

We wish you a splendid day or till we meet again.

Paul

Fortaleza onwards

We arrived at Fortaleza at noon on Wednesday.To our pleasant suprise one
of the cats that left a few days before us were there and planning to
depart a few hours later.They arrived on Monday and it was swell to
spend some time with the young captain and crew and sharing
experiences.Three hours later we had our fuel,our water tanks was full
and we could relax next to the pool with a few capairinhas.First work
hard,then we can relax.I've had to wait three days for fuel before and
was most thankfullthat we got it done in extra quick time.The marina has
no fueldock and they have to bringb the fuel on the back of a van in a
container.I ordered 800 ltrs and twenty minutes later the guy was there
in an old Ford F250 double cab with a 1000ltr container on the back.I
escorted him to the fuel station which is just five minutes away,paid
for the fuel and the petrol attended had both nozzles filling the
container.Once filled we drove back to the marina.There is about a ten
mtr water channel between the driveway and the dock.A length of string
with a bolt attached to one end is thrown over to the dock,the end of
the hosepipe is atttached to the string a pulled in and across the
channel.A small electrical fuel pump is then used to get the fuel from
the container to the boat.All in all the operation took about two
hours.At the sametime we were filling the water tanks.

We are on a bit of a tight schedule as my next delivery to Tahiti will
depart late December early January.Also never leaving on a Friday we had
to move quick to get and do all we wanted to.Thursday morning we had a
breakfast buffet at the 5 star hotel which is part of the marina and we
could enjoy fresh fruit and a long list of other culinary delights.It
was also good tohave some internet and we all could check our
emails,skype,catch up on facebook etc.Thursday after breakfast we spend
some time next to the pool,washed the boat down,checked the motors
throroughly,had a few games of table tennis and after skyping a bit it
was time to cast off and start our next leg again.So yes,in and out of
Fortaleza in good time considering that we got our fuel etc.I have
previously been in and out of Fortaleza in six hours,but that was just
for water and some provisions.

Leaving a port at night is much easier than entering a port at
night.When you leave you get away from the city lights,when you enter
you face millions of lights at times.GPS does assist a lot and if you
are familiar with the port it makes it even easier.I have entered
unknown places all over the world at night,with sometimes difficult
currents to contend with,tides running in or out,a whole lot of
information you have to processs.But this is what we do,this is what we
love.Other sailors and even very experienced sailors will rather slow
down and enter at first light,even at a place like St.Helena.Respect to
them,I prefer to get in when we get there and get an extra few hours to
rest afterwards.We are always on a schedule in the delivery business,no
time to tally around,and sometimes our schedules are very very tight.F1
style stops are then called for as our operations manager Nicky in Cape
Town calls them.And we don't only try to meet expectations,we aim to
exceed expectations.

We just had our first dolphin sighting for the trip,a huge single
dolphin,not sure exactly which species,but there are some very pertinent
markings which will assist in identifying it.Unfortunately I left my
book on mammals of the ocean at home so it will have to wait till then.

With this very special event I am signing off and running out to enjoy
the dolphin playing around our boat.

Take care

Paul

When a plan comes together

On one of my previous postings I mentioned that we are experimenting
with a new way of fishing as the powercat is going too fast to just
troll a lure behind.Our line keeps on snapping,even though it has a
breaking strain of 1500kg,and we keep on loosing lures and now down to
the last one.Our plan was to tie a 30ltr drum to the line which will act
as a float.No bungy,just a few strands of ski roap,three to be
exact,just enough to keep the lure attached to the boat.Theoretically
when the fish strikes the strands of skirope should snap and the drum
should fall of the boat and follow the fish.Which means that we have to
turn around,retrieve the drum and at the end of the line we should then
have the fish.

I was on watch between 2-6pm yesterday when exactly this happened.I was
just about to swop engines when the drum was unceremoniously whacked off
the boat.I immediatly dethrottled and started turning the boiat around
and at the same time starting the other motor to warm up.I shouted at
the crew who was sitting inside-"Fish,fish,everybody out!!!".In a flash
all three were out and we followed the drum.From the flybridge upstairs
I could see the drum was being pulled and also saw a big splash about
40mtrs from the drum.

Getting closer my concern was not to get the line in the props.I could
not see clearly where the line was going.Steven and Bernhard pointed the
line's direction while Liezel was relaying the messages to me.Within ten
minutes we were right at the drum and the line was straight
down.Bernhard jumped in and swam back to the boat while I kept the
motors in neutral.In a few minutes we saw the shape of the fish in the
water,a nice big sailfish.Now the danger was the bill and as Steven was
pulling it on the the back of the boat it gave a little jump
forward.Just before this I shouted at Steven to watch for the bill and
with catlike agility Steven got out of harms way.

The round circle hook was set in the bill and the sailfish was now on
board,Steven holding the tail and Bernhard removing the hook.We decided
to set the fish free and therefore had to cut the line that was tangled
around the bill and remove the hook.A minute or two later the hook was
out and the sailfish was back in the water.He was starting to loose
colour and had to first resuscitate the fish.Bernhard had a piece of
cloth around the bill dragging the fish through the water,Steven was
holding Bernhard on the boat and Liezel was once again relaying steering
directions to me.Just idling we were doing 5kts and after about ten
minutes the colour of the fish returned and started moving his tail a
bit.Five minutes later we deemed the fish fit enough to let go.

What a relief it was to see the sailfish gently moving his tale from
side to side and start swimming away.So great teamwork,beautiful fish
and very satisfying to see our plan come together.We are now about two
hours away from Fortaleza,land in sight and starting to get ready for
landfall.First priority is to arrange for 1000ltrs of diesel to be
delivered,fill our water tanks and take it from there.We will have
internet access and hope to skype a bit later on today are now about
four hours behind South Africa.We are hoping to leave for the Caribbean
tomorrow sometime,it all depends on when we can get the diesel.

We will stay in touch.

Endorphins and other things

Just had my first seashower for the trip and woooop woooop woooop,it
feels good to be alive again.The rush of cold water from the ocean
scooped with a bucket and emptied over my head.My body jerks from the
shock and I laugh out loud,and do it again.Shampoo ,rinse ,conditioner
,rinse ,soap ,rinse with fresh water and stand in the hot sun to dry a
bit with the breeze tingling my skin.Forgot how awesome this feeling
is.Apparently it is a chemical that your brain secretes during various
physical activities ,cold water and laughter.Soulfood if you ask
me.Which is why some of my mad friends that surf in the cold water of
Cape Town also love it so much.So when you have a nice hot shower in
the morning,just before you close the taps,open the cold tap full and
blast some laughter into your day.Re-learning all these things at
47.Late bloomer I guess.Perhaps I will have my mid-life crisis when I am
70 something,chasing the nurses around in my wheelchair should I one day
end up in an old age home.And before that at least a tattoo or three
,earring ,Harley Davidson ,we only live once.For now though ,sailing is
what I do ,crossing the oceans ,long distance sailing I should say.To be
even more precise ,on this trip ,running a 47ft motor boat across the
Atlantic for 6000 odd nautical miles.

The past few days have been fairly eventful.A whale blessed us with it's
appearance ,even more special since we haven't seen any dolphins or
whales at all on this trip so far ,and we have covered two thirds of our
journey.About 200nm from the coast of Brazil.At our average cruising
speed of close to 8kts it is difficult to catch a fish.We use 2mm flat
braided line with a breaking strength of 1500kg attached to the boat
with a bungy.The hooks we are using for the first time is round circle
hooks that just lodges in the side of the fish's jaw,not the double
hooks we used to use that slams into the fish's mouth,causing severe
damage.Now we can release the fish if and when we want.But at this speed
the fish strikes,huge fish out here ,and snaps the line like a thin
piece of gut.Gone is the lure,the line and the fish.According to
scientists it takes about three days for the hook to rust off through a
combination of salt water and chemicals in the fish's mouth.We have
landed a big tuna earlier on in the trip but have in the interem lost
three lures.We came up with a plan to attach a 30ltr empty sealed drum
to the fishing line,and if it snaps it will take the drum with
it.Theoretically we then hope to follow the drum,haul it in and land the
fish in this manner.Huge marlin etc roams these oceans and we will have
towait and see how our plan works.All we really want is a dorado but
difficult to target them specifically.

Before sunset yesterday the sky was turning pinknand the sun
hazy,normally the first sign of a phenomenon we encounter out here at
times.Sahara desert dust.More than 2000nm away or about 3600 km in terms
you may be more acquainted with.Unusual so far down south,but here it
is,drowning the sun just a little.

We just had some freshly baked scones with strawberry jam and cream for
breakfast,damn decadent and damn nice.Rooibos tea to swallow it down
with.Only problem is that one overeats a bit but difficult not
to.Worrying that I might bore you stiff with our rantings and ravings I
will rather stop writing,even though I have much more to say.

So until next time,take good care.

Paul

Friday on my mind

Yesterday morning a huge marlin was trying to stun one of our lures
setting off the alarm.It was just past six in the morning and Steven had
just handed over watch when he was alerted by the alarm and pulled the
lure in and then slacked it again ,repeating this two or three times.The
marlin was criss crossing behind us and then attacked the lure and
the moon was sitting right above us.We use one and a half ton breaking
strain 2mm flat braided line and the marlin snapped our line like a
piece of cotton.On closer inspection the line snapped more or less in
the middle,not as one might suspect on a weaker spot like a knot.The
marlin's fin could clearly be seen about half a meter above the water
and one could clearly trace his movements by the wake left behind.Some
fish are just to big ,this was one of those rare occasions and that is
how our day began.Soon Steven had another line out and told me it was
more exciting watching the chase than actually catching a fish.It
happens at times that one gets a feeling ,look behind at the lure and
watch a fish chasing and taking the lure.Nine out of ten times the fish
would be landed ,this time it was not to be.

The weather is warming up quick now and we had the ventilator fans
running for the first time today.We also serviced both motors and
replaced the anodes.An anode is a zinc screw that protects the props and
motors and props from corrosion caused by sea water.So instead of the
other metal parts the zinc corrodes away and needs to be replaced at set
intervals.We had a snag or two with the oil extraction pumps but it
wasn't long before we had fresh oil in the motors and new anodes
installed.

We are about six days away from Brazil and as can be expected we also
saw our first ship today,reminding us that we are not alone out here and
now have to sharpen our watches a bit.I have done some calculations and
our fuel consumption so far is about 2 250 ltrs used for the first
3000nm.We are maintaining a speed of between 7-8kts and the consistant
wind and current from astern has assisted much in keeping our figures
lower than expected.I can't remember ever having such consistant winds
for so long,and on a sailing vessel we would have only used a little
fuel to keep our batteries charged every day.The powercat is a beautiful
vessel although we are not so attuned to the elements as we would have
been on a sailing vessel.

Our position currently is 08*55'S and 022*13'W.The equator we will only
cross two days or so after reaching Brazil and the new crew will
probably swim across the equator as their initiation ceremony.Always a
lot of fun ,especially if we happen to cross over at night.One thing to
take a dip in the ocean during the day ,another thing to do it at
night.Well,Friday has arrived and I wish you a splendid weekend.

Paul

Positivity Negativity Reality

Crazy thing about traversing the oceans is that one never stands still
,keep on moving and never sleeps at the same place twice.In life it is
the same ,you keep on evolving ,adding years ,even thougfh we often feel
we are stagnating.Evolving can take a long time ,to get to the next
level.But finally it dawns on you that you see things differently.Out
here things might seem the same,the ocean,the skies,the sun and the
moon,but if you take note they are changing all the time.

I used to be a very positive person ,always thinking that negativity
only holds you back.I still think it does ,but I have gained new respect
for it.As day turns into night and night turns into day the two need
each other to make life possible.If you have only day things will soon
turn sour ,if you have only night ,nothing will grow.So it is with
pleasure and pain,loss and gain,they all go hand in hand.

When our emotions are allowed to run riot we loose the ability to see
clearly.Why must we always feel good ,why must we always be happy .We
try for sure ,thinking that life is about reaching a state of permanent
feeling good and happy.And when you are not happy or not feeling good
everything seems meaningless ,even life itself.But if you look around
you ,you realize that good times and bad times are equally
important.Wishful thinking leaves you dissilusioned .

If I love and am grateful for both good and bad ,happy and sad I find
myself in a heightened state of awareness , a state of reality.But I
guess you know all this ,I am only beginning to see it lately.Learning
to balance positivity and negativity with reality.I have much more to
learn about these things but I sense I am on the right track.

On another note we are halfway between St.Helena and Brazil.The last day
or so the sun has been more dominant during the day and suddenly we are
walking around in shorts and t-shirts.More correctly,sitting around.I am
also starting to realize that if you don't use your muscles you will
start loosing the proper function of them.And after many years on the
ocean and having sailed more than four times around the globe I now know
I need to exercise,that it is vitally important.And every day I say I
will start but have not done much in that department yet.I have always
been blessed with excellent health and felt naturally fit but little
squeeks and pains are trying to tell me that I should take more care.

On board all is well and one day is flowing into the next.We are getting
into the flow of things and have attained a certain state of harmony.I
can assure you we are all enjoying our time out here,all for our
individual reasons.Yes,we miss our loved ones all the time.

I wish you a splendid day.On our side we will try and keep it real.

Jacob's Ladder demands respect,ask Steven

It is three days since we left St.Helena and things are starting to ease
a bit.It has been overcast and rainy with fairly strong winds for what
seems like forever,but the sun does peek through every now and
then.Tonight the moon and stars are visible now and then.

Yesterday Steven called me to show me a fish chasing one of our
lures,quite an exciting experience to watch a chase like that.Not sure
what fish it was as we are trolling 30mtrs behind us and the sea is
fairly rough.He is still suffering fromn his hasty climb up Jacob's
Ladder on St.Helena.His left leg and knee is swollen and very
painful,too much exertion too quick.I know he will respect the Ladder
much more next time he looks up from the bottom and see 699 steps
towering above him.699 big steps they are as well.

We are about 9 days from Brazil and enjoying the powercat tremendously.I
have not had such consistently strong winds on any of my Atlantic
crossings before and can only smile at this twist of fate.On a sailing
vessel we would have been great miles without burning fuel.Who
knows,perhaps next time the wind will be kind enough to keep on blowing
when I cross on a sailing vessel.On my next delivery I will be
taking a boat to Tahiti late December early January.About 11 500 nm and
an estimated three months.The trip will once again take me through the
Panama Canal and halfway across the Pacific.

Flying fish have started making their appearance again in great
numbers,landing on deck at night.When we get a change to we normally try
and help them back into the ocean but a few go undetected and in the
morning we remove the unlucky ones.

My dearest wife had an unfortunate accident on Sunday.She got a nasty
bump on her head and went to the hospital as she was bleeding profusely
as one sometimes does with a head injury.She got three stitches and a
slight concussion.Through her latest correspondence it seems that she
now loves me much more than before.Once the wound has healed properly
she may love me less again,I hope not.I do wish her a speedy recovery
though.

Wishing you a tremendous Tuesday.

Paul

St.Helena and beyond

We arrived at St.Helena just past midnight and after five attempts had
the anchor holding.Always such a pleasure to arrive at night,especially
on or near the full moon and some open skies.The lights up Jacob's
Ladder,the longest man made ladder in the world,was hauntingly waiting
to be conquered again.The lights of Jamestown blinking and normally the
leading lights which were not on when we arrived.We announced our
emminent arrival an hour before we arrived and went through the sing
song of repeating everything three times and being answered in the same
way,doing it by the book.

Soon we were fast asleepand woke up at first light.Took a while before
we could go ashore but by 9:30 we were clearing customs,immigration and
port control.We also booked a tour for the next day as it was too late
to arrange for Napoleon's house etc to be visited.Took in our
laundry,greeted some long time friends and found ourselves at Anne's
Place.The crew got ready to scale Jacob's Ladder and Steven decided to
run the first bit up,two steps at a time.They were fairly exhausted when
they returned but we sat down and had a burger sitting chatting with
Richard and Jane,owners of Anne's Place,getting all the latest news.

After 50 years of yes no yes no eventually a contract was signed with
Basil Read to construct an airport to sum of 201 000 000 British Pound
plus another 40 or so for running costs during the first ten years.There
is a lot of construction going on,a new customs house thst was just
completed.We were fortunate when the clock tower was raised with a crane
and placed on top of the building,history in the making and we were
there.Construction of the airport is due to start early next year,and a
new breakwater as well.We were shown all the sketches and plans and
everyone is very exciting about all these new developments.

Not enough manpower or accommodation to do all this and we were offered
jobs on the spot.Accommodation camps will also need to be erected to
cater for the construction workers.The whole operation is immense in all
regards.New roads will have to be constructed and everything will have
to be shipped in.You should be able to get the latest news on the
net.We stayed on at Anne's Place till nearly 9pm when we arranged for a
ferry to take us back to our boats.

We were also invited to Anne's 71st birthday on 11/11/11 but we
reluctantly declined as we wanted to leave on Thursday straight after
the tour.Thursday morning arrived and at 9am we started our tour and
what an amazing tour it was.I have been here a few times and everytime
it gets better and every tour I see something new.This time we were
taken to the usual Napoleon's house and all the other normal
attractions.Exceedingly good to see Jonathan again,the oldest animal in
the world,now estimated to be about 220 years old.What was new for me
was a visit to the Boer prisoners of war graveyard.I found four
inscriptions of my forefathers here,four soldiers bearing the same
surname and would love to do some research and find out if they were
direct relatives bearing the same surname.At about 2pm the tour was
finished and we had a last meal of lamb chops at Anne's Place,collected
our laundry and greeted everyone farewell till next time.At 3pm we
started the engines to warm up and started to raise the anchor.Try as we
might,we could not dislodge it.We tried from all angles letting chain
out trying to unwrap the chain or dislodge the anchor but to no avail.I
called one of my friends and they arranged for a diver but would only be
able to do it the next day,Friday, at 3pm.Nothing we could do,it has
been decided by higher powers that we will stay,the island wouldn't let
us go.Which meant that we would be there for Anne's birthday,an immense
honor.The diver arrived at about 3:30pm and dislodged our anchor which
was wedged in under a rock.

Anne is now confined to a wheel chair,has Alzheimers but looked
absolutely glowing when they wheeled her in.She has for over 40 years
been a mother to all of us that sail the oceans and stop at
St.Helena.She would feed us,do our laundry,love us and leave us much
stronger to carry on.I tried to communicate all the love from all the
sailors that ever had the privilege to meet her.Words were not
important,we both looked at each other and our eyes just flooded with
tears.I am one of her wayward children and as much part of her family as
her own flesh and blood children,who I also take as my brothers and
sisters,and are always welcomed as such.The islanders are known as
Saints,and as my good friend Kirsten have always called
me,St.Paul,part of the family.My dear wife might object a bit to
this,but that is another story altogether.Tinker tailor soldier
sailor.Mmmmmm....

We were back at our boat at about 10pm on Friday and I wanted to leave
just after midnight.We also had the option to leave early the next
morning and flipped a coin to decide when we will leave.The coin said we
willleave just after midnight and we decided to catch a quick two hour
nap.At midnight me and Bernhard got up to tie off and go,but I then
decided,what the heck,lets get a proper rest in and leave at first ligh
t which is what we did.The weather for the next few days is fairly
strong with up to 35 kts of wind from behind and close to 4mtr swell to
surf down.The powercat is another beast and wants to zigzag down the the
waves,placing quite a bit of stress on the boat.To keep us running in a
straight line we let out some mooring lines in the centre of the boat
and the effect is perfect.I experimented a bit with the length of line
and found a sweet spot.We are going about half a knot slower,but much
more comfortable and less stress on our vessel.

St.Helena will never be the same again.With the airport it will become
accesible to everyone.There are some positives and some negatives to
this but only time will tell how it all pans out.Our postion at 13h00 UTC
on 13/11 is 14*20'S/009*23'W.We expect to arrive in Brazil in ten days
time to take on some fuel.

I wish you a most pleasant week ahead and hope your 11/11/11 was also a
most memorable day.

St.Paul

1st Squadron of the Atlantic Flying Fish Brigade

Just spotted the first school of flying fish taking off.Always a rare
pleasure to see these amazing creatures speeding out of the water,spread
their webbed fins into wings and glide across the pulsating surface of
the ocean.The bottom part of the tail is used to propel the missile to
sustain flight or change direction ,sometimes radically.They are similar
to mullet and form the staple diet of the dolhphins and game fish in the
area.Top of this list for the plate I place the gold ,blue ,green
coloured dorado.The lures we use also look like flying fish in colour.On
this trip we are experimenting with round circle hooks and had great
success landing and releasing a tuna totally unharmed.A short shock cord
of surgical tubing and 2mm flat braided line,trolled about 30 mtrs
behind the boat.In short we are now in the dorado's hunting grounds and
and have casted our wish upon the waters.

St.Helena is about 70nm away and should it clear up we will soon be able
to see her on the horizon.Our ETA is about 10pm and with the nearly full
moon to brighten the skies we should have little problem doing a night
entry and drop our anchor in a safe spot.Tomorrow morning we plan to
clear port control,customs and immigration.After that scaling Jacob's
Ladder for the crew while I visit at Anne's Place where I have
some long time friends.Arrange a tour of the island,do a little shopping
etc.Thursday visit the museum which only opens on a Thursday and
Friday,make sure our water tanks full and point our bow in the direction
of Brazil.Weather seems strong for the next few days starting
tomorrow.Fortunately it is in the right direction for us and we will see
what brings.We have a small drogue on board ,ready to deploy should we
encounter some adverse conditions.

The skies have been overcast for the last few days but opening in the
afternoons from about 2 onwards.Still overcast and as usual only time
will tell.Our position at the moment 16*01'S/004*28'W.Temperature 22*C.

Wishing you a pleasant day

Paul

Kissed by the sun

At about midday the sun finally broke through and the clouds
dissapeared.We stopped the boat for a few minutes to swim and play a
bit,Stephen and Bernhard respectively being towed behind the boat on a
wakeboard.I also learned that jumping into or showering in cold water
also releases endorphins ,the feel good chemical.Another way of enducing
this is running and getting your second breath.

We also landed a +-10kg yellowfin tuna ,this time on a round circle
hook.First time I am trying it. Theoretically it is supposed to hook the
fish on the side of the jaw and makes for an easy release.I learned
about this a few years ago when I read an article about 2300 and
something sailfish that were caught,tagged and released using these
hooks,a world record set in Mozambique from one charterer.

What a pleasure it was to catch the fish ,take a few photos ,and place
it back in the water without spilling one drop of blood.We have more
than enough fresh tuna in the freezer and are trolling for dorado.No
flying fish yet,but like the sun eventually came out ,so will the flying
fish also appear in time.The normal big double hooks I normally use
won't afford us this option and we are thrilled.

Last night was my turn to prepare supper and spaghetti bolognaise was
served ,except that I used pork mince instead of beef.Came out quite ok
and the dip in the ocean combined with the sunny weather also improved
our appetites.We are less than two days away from St.Helena and looks
like we will do a night entry again.Strong weather predicted from
Wednesday onwards but fortunately straight from behind.

We haven't had big swells yet and we may have to deploy the drogue to
keep us reunning in a straight line when surfing down bigger swells.We
should be on our way again Thrursday morning and will take it from
there.We also crossed into the west during the night and set our clocks
one hour back.Our position is 16*55'S/000*10'W.

Wishing you a splendid Monday.

Paul

Grey grey on a Saturday

I think this is now the 4th day without any sunshine or blue skies.last
night a small patch of blue here and there looked promising but not just
yet.In time.We have just decanted 500 ltrs diesel into our tanks taking
about an hour.Seem that we run about 50 hrs on 300 ltrs at 1500 rpm.The
sea and swell and wind have now all turned in our favour and St.Helena
is four days away.

Steven just had the bright idea to make some pancakes and we will see
how this turns out,nothing much else to do but to sit,sleep,read,play
guitar,watch movies,eat some more,watches day and
night,think,contemplate,write,experience and enjoy.

Yesterday received word from a good friend of mine,Kirsten.She is on her
way from Portugal to East London in South Africa.Two days away from Cape
Verde where she will stop for water.Totally opposite of what we are
doing she only carries 70 ltrs of fuel with her.She is sailing solo on a
32 ft ferro cement boat and enjoying both the fast and the slow.But most
of all enjoying time out by herself.An extraordinary person in any sense
of the word,I dearly hope she shares some of her experiences in
writing.One of her adventures was cycling from Berlin to Cape
Town,through Africa...alone.Took her a year,was held back blinded for a
month in a kaya due to an overdose of quinine against malaria,and much
more.We were looking at meeting somewhere in the middle of the ocean but
our timing is a bit out.But we will cross each other's tracks at some
time.

We just tasted the first sampling of pancake and yum yum,muchos
delicious.

At home my 8 year old daughter Maryna is growing up and asking more
difficult questions from daddy,like why must one be happy.My wife and
myself are deeply in love if you take love to be a misunderstanding
between two people.My inlaws are fine,my parents are fine,my brother is
fine and Bella Rosa,my daughters black Labrador's nose is wet,so all
good on the home ground.

The crew on board is fine,the boat is fine and our position currently is
18*04'S/004*46'E.

Wishing you a splendid weekend.

From the deep grey that will turn deep blue.

Paul

In the swing of things...

It is Friday morning ,6am on the 4th of November 2011.

Our passage from Walvis Bay to St.Helena is now well on it's way.From
the start we were taking the swell and current on the port beam.Not so
pleasant and being heavily loaded with fuel ,we had to ensure our weight
distribution was optimal towards a positive and balanced waterline.And
instead of fighting the elements we opted for a compromise and headed NW
instead of WNW.This way we gained a slightly better angle which resulted
in less strain on our vessel and we were also worked a better VMG ,a
navigation term to describe the speed at which something or someone is
moving towards a set point.In our case we had to aim away from our
waypoint to more ride the swells and gain better speed towards
St.Helena.Our ETA is next week Wednesday,comforably.

As the days rolled by since leaving Walvis the wind,the swell and the
current has ever so gradually been curving more W.Tomorrow we expect the
wind very much from behind us as we are entering the trades.All aboard
have once again become one with the motion of the ocean and enjoying
every moment out here being completely out of our comfort zones.We
haven't really seen the sun for three days.It has been completely
overcast although yesterday evening just before the sun set a small
opening allowed a golden light to beam down just for a minute or two.

We are also slowly moving through a time zone and the sun is rising and
setting substantially later everyday.Our watches rotate so we up at all
hours day and night.Being four on board allows long periods of rest
inbetween watches.During the day we do four hour watches and at night
three hour watches.We are eating incredibly well.Last night we had
chicken fillets filled with spinach and feta and tied with a strip of
bacon and mashed potato covered with a cheese sauce.

Looking forward to see what the day brings.

Our position currently is 19*24'S/008*22'E.We are averaging about 7 kts
and St.Helena is 870 nm away.So far we have covered 1163 nm.

Wishing you a great Friday and a pleasant weekend.

Paul

Once upon a time....

The night before last was fairly rough with the swell getting up to
4 mtrs and criss crossing their direction.But as the hours ticked on the
swell direction become more uniform and our comfort increased
proportionately.Yesterday the wind also started running out of steam and
the swell is now a nice rolling two mtrs and we are curving more and
more in the direction we want to go.The weather should be completely in
our favour from the 5th onwards with wind,current and boat all moving in
the same direction.The powercat is asking different questions than the
sailing catamarans and interesting to experiment and find new
solutions.

Yesterday morning the crew had a fab time baking peanut butter and
banana cookies and two types of banana bread.Instead of the bananas
going to waste they were put to good use.Last night it was my turn to
cook and I prepared a simple country vegetable stew with rice.Cubed
beef,carrots,cabbage,potatoes,onions,garlic,marrows,tomatoes,peas,chilli
beef stock,Worshester sauce,soya sauce,salt,pepper,mixed herbs etc.It
turned out tasty enough and we all enjoyed this simple dish.I enjoy all
the handwork that goes into preparing all the veggies and the colour and
flavour they add in the end.

Last night all the watches went smooth with one ship causing us to
change direction just a little.It is also starting to get a bit warmer
and although it has been overcast for the last two days visibilty has
stayed excellent since we left Cape Town.Going up the west coast fog is
a factor one often have to deal with,we have been fortunate and are
moving deeper and deeper into the Atlantic.So all well on this side.

Hope all is well on your side too.

Paul

No whales at Walvis Bay

After sorting out a few glitches we once again hope to post daily
reports on the blog.To recap what we have been up to a few highlights.

Last week Friday Steven landed a 30kg plus longfin tuna,what the Japs
call the chicken of the sea.Dense white meat,suitable for all types of
tuna dishes.We had four different tuna dishes that day and three the
next day.Never had tuna like this before and suffice to say ,lucky fish
to have been enjoyed somuch in so many ways.

We kept a bit offshore during our run up the west coast,up to 50nm at
one point before we started curving in towards Walvis Bay.8am Sunday
morning we were tied to a mooring bouy close to the Walvis Bay Yacht
Club.Soon someone spotted us and whisked us ashore on a rubber
duck.There we met some guys who is attempting to break the world speed
record on water for a sailing vessel,www.rocketsail.com.We saw some of
there video clips and they got uo to 54kts at one attempt.Is it a plane
that can sail or is it a boat that can fly?

We then had a Sunday lunch at the yacht club which we also enjoyed
thoroughly.Afterwards the commodore ,Pete ,took us to town to get one or
two items we didn't get in Cape Town.On the spur of the moment he also
took us on a little scenic drive past the salt pans and miles of desert
beach all the way to Pelican Point,the lighthouse at the entrance to
Walvis Bay.Every now and then we found small groups of seals basking on
the beach.One could get an idea of the vastness of the Namib ,the oldest
desert in the world.It was quite an experience and the VW Amarok was
also impressive.

The next day we left at 8 am to look for the fuel jetty.What an amazing
sight to see the shipyards repairing all types of ships,a long line of
vessels of all shapes and sizes.It was a somewhat surreal sight and made
me think of all the souls that have worked on these ships and the
stories they coulkd tell ,the storms they have weathered ,the comradie
they have have formed.After some effort we eventually found the fuel
dock and proceeded to take on 4000 ltrs.At 3300 ltrs the tank ran dry
and we had to wait there the whole day for the tanks to be filled
again.At 6pm we were fuelled up ,water tanks full and ready to leave for
St.Helena.The weather was blowing about 30kts outside the harbour and
our grib weather files predicted that the strong weather will start
abating on Tuesday.

Another PC 47 arrived on Monday and tied up next to us for the
night ,always nice to spend some time with fellow mariners.Tuesday
morning we had all our fuel drums tied down and the boat washed down
thoroughly.We had to leave in a hurry as other boats were also waiting
to fuel up and soon we were on our way again.Just out of the harbour one
of our fuel drums spilled some diesel and we had to clean upand secure
the drums a bit better.We were all a bit tender and didn't eat much last
night.The sea was fairly rough and taking the swell from the beam had us
bobbing up and down and around a bit.At three this morning we altered
our course by 15 degrees to give us a slightly better angle to take on
the swell.It made a fair difference both in speed and comfort.We are
finding a good balance and being heavily weighted we are also taking it
slow.The swells gradually turning in our favour and at the moment we are
taking it on at about 45 degrees from behind.

We are hoping to reach St.Helena next week Wednesday and our position is
21*59'S and 012*32'E.

Until next time take good care.

Paul