It's been a while since you've been out at sea with me....so here we go.
Once we were out of the tropical rain belt, the relentless north easterly
winds set in. The seas and swell were picking up a bit, and we had to take a
40 degree angle to the wind. Mainsail and headsail in tight, and one motor
at a time to assist. Cabo Verde is the birthplace of hurricanes. A few low
pressure systems form, get together and fuelled by the warm tropical water,
they start building momentum and making way towards America in the west,
across the North Atlantic. Causing havoc wherever they go. This is not the
hurricane season, and the winds were not so intense, averaging between 15
and 25 knots. In the winter the average wind speed is between 20 and 40 kts,
now and then getting really nauti and getting into the 50's. But this time
round it was more towards summer, and although it was not an easy sail, we
managed to maintain good speed.
The first sign of the Sahara desert dust is the faintest smell of soil in
the air. On the ocean the smell of land is quite distinct. Powdery fine
dust, pinkish reddish brownish. The sun rises but does not warm you,
the moon, the stars, all gets filtered by the dust. And soon you start
finding traces of it all over the boat. And it starts getting cold. All we
can do is to hang in there and look after the boat. We had a wave here
and there smashing into us and all over the boat, but in general, we were
doing just fine. Sailing into weather like this is what we call beating
into the wind, close hauled. Cabo Verde was our next stop and just no ways
we could sail straight in that direction. We did very well though, and
after two weeks from leaving St.Helena behind, the southernmost islands of
Cabo Verde came into view. It was very tempting to stop there as beating
is quite taxing on the body. We could have, but it would have made it
difficult in other ways for us. We preferred to push on another day or two
to get up north to Ilha De Sao Vicente where there is a proper marina with
proper facilities. Our reasons for wanting to stop a bit is to fuel up,
stretch our legs on land, get some fresh produce, wifi etc. We made good
time and arrived at Mindelo at first light. At about 8am we were closing
in on the marina, where some helping hands showed us where to tie up and
helped with our mooring lines. Big smiles all around and so very good to
set foot on terra firma. Next to us a small 36ft mono was tied up. The
occupants turned out to be Norwegian, the owner a 25 year old who is an
Olympic windsurfer. She had another lady on board and three dudes. Young
people just sailing for fun and exploring the world a bit.
The marina office staff was excellent and soon we paid our dues and proceeded
to clear Customs and Immigration which also turned out to be very efficient.
It was Thursday and we planned to depart on Sunday when they are closed. They
requested me to come back on Friday to clear out again which I duly did. We
could now go and enjoy the local culture. Cabo Verde is probably the most
successful African country. Petty crime here and there, but mostly very
peaceful and contend. Whenever I visit places like this I look for live music
venues, local cuisine and beverages. We had access to fresh water, and gave
Second Wind a proper wash down. Our guests next door joined us one evening
for card and drinking games, some wild tribal dancing and in general just
good fun. The morning after is always to be expected, a slight headache and a
dry throat. Part of what we do when we get to land. Lots of laughter and
chanter and making great memories. We fuelled up on Saturday, and after
having a more reserved evening, was on our way again by noon on Sunday. Next
stop hopefully Madeira. I estimated about ten days but you never know in
these waters. A rough exit from Cabo Verde, but soon things settled down. The
best we could do was at about a 90 degree angle to Madeira. Up north the
Azores would be another option if the weather did not turn for us. And even
aiming for the Azores proved futile.
On the second day after Cabo Verde we had a homing pigeon finding a safe
haven on our fly bridge. Carey named him Frank, after some tv series where
Frank wakes up every morning in a strange place without remembering how he
got there. One on one I called the birdie Frankie. We tried feeding him a
few different things, and in the end it seemed he preferred rice. A bowl of
water and a bowl of rice was placed in his digs every morning. If you walk
up too quickly or noisily he would fly off and stretch his wings a bit before
coming in for a landing again. Every second day or so we would also give
his place a quick wash to remove the pigeon poo while he was flying around
a bit. At times it was rather stormy with wind and rain making it quite
unpleasant to be out. But he found his spot where he was protected from the
elements. He stayed with us for a week or so, and once the desert dust was
behind us, he probably could work out his bearings again. What a pleasure
his company was, so long Frankie.
Eventually the weather changed in our favour and we could turn 90 degrees
to starboard and aim directly for Madeira. The wind was now from the north,
and once again we were sailing close hauled, but at least in the right
direction. Cooking under these conditions can be quite challenging. The
boat going up and down, back and forth, rocking from side to side. At times
we had to tie the pots down on the stove to prevent them from falling off. I
did not hear any complaints from any of the crew, and as long as I stayed
calm, they were calm. We kept on doing our best at all times, which is what
was required if we were to make Madeira in ten days. We've had the wonderful
privilege to sail with the owner in Cape Town a few times, and he was now
waiting for us in Madeira. The last few days were less intense, except for
the last night before we reached Madeira. The weather predicted was 15kts,
we had close to 30. Just to test us one more time, to teach us that it is
never over until it is over. We slowed down to about 3kts just maintaining.
A few hours later the weather settled, and once we were in the lee of
Madeira the water became flat and we made up some time. Just before noon we
arrived in Funchal, Madeira. Exactly ten days after leaving Cabo Verde.
I am not sure who was the happiest, the owner seeing his boat coming in, or
us seeing him and knowing that we have a few days to spend in Madeira. I
have had the privilege of visiting here a few times before, and will never
grow tired of this beautiful place. After we tied up I went to see the
marina office as well as Customs and Immigration, and an hour later we were
sorted. After such a long and thirsty passage a beer is always extra nice.
We had a beer at the Beerhouse, a spot right at the marina, and afterwards
proceeded to a restaurant the owner favoured, for some espetados. Not sure
about the spelling, but in short, skewered beef or chicken or seafood.
Wonderful meal we had, and before we knew it, it was quite late. Made our
way back to the boat, and great to fall into a deep sleep safely tied up in
a marina with hardly any movement. The next morning Richard, Dan and Tristan
stayed at the boat to give her a thorough wash while Dedreich, Carey and
myself went shopping for some fresh provisions. The quality of the fruit and
veggies here is as good as you can get. No one can produce fruit and veg
like the Portuguese. It was now Thursday night and the crew went to go and
enjoy some of the night life in Funchal. I stayed with Dedreich and
entertained a couple he met in Madeira while waiting for us. All of us had a
most enjoyable evening. Danny and Tristan returned to the boat in the early
hours of the morning, Carey and Richard were in a bit earlier. It was now
Friday and we had a few final things to do on Second Wind to have her ready
for departure on Saturday morning. At about noon we were done and the crew
went exploring the island a bit more, catching a bus and visiting some
interesting places. Dedreich and myself did some of final shopping and
stopped at a street café for a beer and some great live music. Afterwards we
made a turn at our favourite restaurant to enquire about a music event they
featured that night. We also decided to linger a bit longer and sampled their
grilled sardine. Scrumptious. It was about 6pm and we made our way back to
the boat. The crew were also back and it was decided that we will attend the
music event, just a very passionate and talented guitarist that came highly
recommended. Check his music at www.elianbittencourt.club. We reserved a table
for six on the outside for 8:30pm and enjoyed another lovely evening in great
company.
Saturday morning we were up early, and as it started getting light, we were
on our way. Motoring for a while to get out of the lee of the island, and as
soon as the wind came through, up went our beloved genikar, the big blue
sail. Wind from behind, we haven't had that feeling for quite some time. Our
next stop will be Cadiz in Spain where two more friends will join us. About
four days sail and we are halfway there. We are doing our utmost to catch
some fish, four rods out. Trying different lures at different lengths behind
the boat but thus far no luck.
In a previous post I posed the question of why people go sailing. I guess
there are as many reasons as there are sailors, but surely there are some
common reasons. Or perhaps it would be better to just speak for myself. I love
posing questions. One famous question is what came first, the chicken or the
egg. After many many moons of pondering this question, it dawned on me; they
were created simultaneously. Einstein said it does not matter whether an answer
is right or wrong, but whether it is beautiful. He also had a love for sailing,
and I guess he had his own reasons too. Why do you think people go sailing? Or
more direct, would you love to go sailing or not? Most people who wants to go
sailing just dream about it. Their present life circumstances does not allow
them to pursue their dreams. And then there are people who don't like sailing
at all. Fear of storms, fear of drowning, I have heard a few reasons. I
respect their reasons, and will never try to persuade them otherwise. The only
thing to really fear is fear itself. You may think people go sailing to
escape, and you would be spot on. But escape from what? What do you think?
Escape reality? Really?
You may think that what is real is what you see on the tv, read in magazines
and newspapers, hear on the radio. I refuse to write tv in capital letters :)
My own spelling rules :) In which case you would be quite right thinking
people go sailing to escape reality. I have got news for you, bad news. What
we often think is real is mostly an illusion. And the sole purpose of that
illusion is to enslave you, to pollute your mind, to steal your time. To blind
you to your soul purpose, to deviate you from your soul journey, and to make
you deaf to your inner voice. To ensnare your spirit, to rob you of your
dream.
When you are born into this world, you are named, numbered, classed, sexed;
labelled in short. As soon as you are old enough to think for yourself, you
are schooled to not think for yourself. Don't ask questions, just listen and
learn the "facts". Just follow the rules, never ever question them. Never ask
who made these rules and why. Do you really think the history you learned at
school is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I hope not.
History is always biased in favour of the victors. Their history is recorded
and the history of the conquered simply wiped out. You are taught what is
right and wrong. Yet, you always knew what is right and what is wrong. You are
taught national anthems that breeds patriotism and teaches you to die for your
country. To kill other people who differ in colour, in language, in culture,
in race, in ethnicity, in religion. You are taught how to hate and how to
judge. Have you ever wondered why? Don't ask why, just do as you are told.
Ever heard that before? What do we really know about our planet and how many
civilizations have come and gone, perhaps some far more advanced than what we
can imagine.
At the same time you are taught about God. In all his/her different shapes,
sizes and flavours....with respect. Correction, God is mostly portrayed as
male. Got a bit ahead of myself there. You are taught that you are born evil.
Full of sin. And that only the church can save you. Save you from what?
Eternal damnation in the fiery pits of hell? Yes, God is love. And if you
don't follow his rules and pay your tithes and offerings, God will no longer
love you. We are children of God? Will you do that to your child? Nothing in
or out of this world will ever stop me loving my child, and nothing will ever
make me condemn her to eternal damnation. Conditional love.....thanks but no
thanks. I wonder what God thinks about religion. Yes, there is a bit of truth
in every religion. And a bit of truth is the most dangerous thing you will
ever find. You know the truth, you were born knowing it. To get back to what
and who you really are, what you really know, that is your soul journey. To
find answers that ring true. With religion comes politics and economics. Which
leads to war. Flamed by fear and greed. And exactly where does love fit into
this picture I wonder. Read a true saying the other day. If the power of love
overcomes the love of power, we will all live in peace.
And, speaking for myself, that is why I go sailing. To unlearn all the crap
that was shoved down my throat in an attempt to indoctrinate me. To escape all
the mental pollution that is thrown at us. To get in touch and get to know
that part of me that is timeless, eternal, infinite. Nature does not deceive.
Instead, it teaches one, if you are willing to look and listen, to ask. My big
question is what am I really. What is a human being really? What I believe
does not matter at all. Believes can change and does so all the time. All that
matters is what you know. That which cannot change. I have looked wide and
far, and the only constant factor I could find was change. I have now probed a
bit deeper, taken the plunge, to look for that which cannot change. Universal
truths. To go and find the real God. Not all that we see and hear and made to
believe is bad, but if there is no love, shake it.
We as humans have divided the oceans and named them, and I have sailed all of
them. There really is just one ocean, and the more we understand about the
ocean, the more we understand about ourselves. If you cut your finger, your
whole body reacts. The pain is not isolated just to your finger. So it is with
oceans, it all interconnects. If you pollute one area, it spreads to all the
other areas. The nuclear disaster in Japan is clear evidence of that. Fukijima?
We are very closely connected to the ocean, we cannot escape the fact that life
as we know it started in the ocean. The same percentage of salt you find in the
ocean on average is the same amount of salt in your blood, your urine, your
sweat and your tears. 70+ percent of our bodies consist of water. It is thus
not surprising that as the moon orbits around planet earth and creates great
tides and currents, so the moon also affects us as human beings, and all other
living things on our blue planet. We learn more and more about how it all fits
together and works as a whole. The earth spinning around an around in an oval
shape creates the winds that also brings life to our planet. The sun, without
the sun there also would be no life. The sun was once worshipped as the source
of life, as it was obvious to see the effect of the sun. The moon, well, she
moves in far more mysterious ways. Have you ever thought what planet earth
would be like without sister moon? I haven't, the thought just came up now. The
sun can shine all it likes, if there was no moon, there would be no life as we
know it. The one therefore in my books is just as vitally important as the
other. An incredibly fine balancing act to sustain life. We were once told that
the earth is flat. Heaven above, and hell below. Complete consternation when
that presumption was proven to be completely false. Many other presumptions
will also fall by the wayside. We think we are alone in the universe, no other
life exists anywhere else. This tiny little speck we call earth. Part of one
galaxy, and the further we probe, the more galaxies we find. I think it absurd
to think we are the only forms of life in the whole of the universe.
So yes, in search of the ultimate truth. You are born, you live, you die. End
of the story. So not true. You cannot die. Yes, your body will perish, but
you, the real you, cannot die. Ever. Please don't think of this as heavy stuff,
or deep. Please don't think of this as airy fairy stuff either. Yes, the truth
lies buried deep beneath all the crap that is heaped upon it. What is the
purpose of life I often wonder. I like to think that each of us has a very
specific purpose in life. Shakespeare penned to be or not to be, that is the
question. And a rose by any other name is still a rose. Wonder what he was
musing about. If I have to choose one ultimate purpose in life, it would
be total awareness. Out here on the big blue it is easier to become more and
more aware. Lots of time, very little distraction. And every now and then we
get a glimpse of it, that complete feeling of oneness, of completeness, of
knowing. When I experience how insignificantly small I am on the one side, and
how infinitely vast on the other side. Nothing and everything.
Most of the crap in my life is my little friend ego :))) Hallo ego, how are
you ? And what exactly is ego? Wherever I go, ego :))) Playing with words.
Wherever I go, there I am. I cannot escape me. I looked for God under a
microscope, and I found a whole new world. I looked for God through a
telescope, and found a whole new world. I donned some scuba gear and looked for
God under the water, and found a whole new world. I looked for God on the
mountain tops, and found a whole new world. In the valleys, in the forests, on
the ocean wide, and found whole new worlds. Everywhere I looked, I found God. I
haven't looked in the deserts yet, should put that on my to do list. But I
know, also there I will find God. Then it dawned on me, again, a little bit of
God is a little bit of me. And you. Life equals death equals life. On and on.
To see eternity in a grain of sand.
And still here I am. Having a certain experience in a certain form at a
certain time. As with every living that vibrates. Rocks also vibrate, yes, they
are also alive. And just as the moon and the sun and everything else has a
right and a purpose for existing, so have we. Yes, you are as important as the
moon. And the sun.
Until we meet again
Paul
Monday, May 29, 2017
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Thursday, May 4, 2017
MOB on the equator
The last few days have been quite hectic. After not having had any fish
take our lures, a massive wahoo smashed one of our lures. Taking line at
an alarming rate there were a few lessons to be learned. Our trace was
nylon, and I knew only a matter of time before the wahoo's razor sharp
teeth would cut through the nylon. We were also going at quite some speed
with the gennikar up, and just about no time to drop it and turn the boat
around. After making some noise with the boat's horn, Tristan came up to
see what is going on. Helplessly we stood and watch the wahoo thrashing
and splashing and then our line went slack. We worked on a plan of action
should a big fish take one of our lures again. All hands on deck, drop the
gennikar and turn the boat around, as quick as possible. We replaced the
nylon traces with steel wire traces should a wahoo be lured into striking
again. The night before we had a fishing boat or two in the distance, we
had some dolphins and were expecting tuna, big tuna. Dolphins at night is an
amazing sight. The bioluminescence outlining there torpedo shaped bodies
perfectly.
Led out some line again, and not long before a massive fish, a tuna I
think, got hooked. This time we were ready, and in a flash the gennikar
was down, and we could turn the boat around to chase after this big fish.
Feeling supremely confident that we've got it, it swam in under the boat
and our line got stuck on one of the rudders :( Another fish, another
lure. We raised the gennikar again and carried on sailing, slightly
dismayed. But as conditions were perfect for fishing, I quickly tied
another lure on, led out some line, and before I could place the rod in
the rod holder, I had a fish on again. The guys thought I was just joking.
On a previous occasion, after many days of nothing, I let a rag slide down
the line, and when it reached the lure it got hooked and caused enough
drag to make the reel scream in delight. I passed the rod to Tristan and
he started reeling in. I knowingly looked to Carey and told her, rag fish.
As the rag and lure popped over a wave it jumped out of the water a bit,
which made it look even more legit. We were on the flybridge and below us
Richard and Dan had the gaff out and ready, a knife, and great was he
disappointment when it turned out to be a rag. Tristan said it was one of
the most disappointing moments of his life. The guys though the rag must
have blown off and somehow got snagged by the lure. As I have already told
Carey it was a rag fish, I told the boyz it was just a practise run to see
how quick our reaction time would be. Which is why the guys were thinking
I might be joking when they saw me reeling in a fish, having just let the
line out. I could feel it was not very big and no need to drop the sail
and turn the boat around. I passed the rod to Tristan and he reeled the
fish in. Richard and Dan handled the gaff and knife, and soon we had our
first fish on S/V Second Wind. A medium size bonito, not my favourite fish
by a long shot, but it was filleted and the fillets placed in a container
in one our outside fridges. Tristan had tohave a piece if the bonny's heart,
a law us mariners live by. The next day it was spiced and fried and we
all enjoyed our first taste of fresh fish for the trip.
Yesterday we were closing in on the equator, and at about 10:00 we were
getting ready for the initiation. Three of my crew have never crossed the
equator, and it is a very special occasion in any mariner's life. Normally
we break an egg on the person's head, with some flour and syrup etc etc
etc. A sticky messy situation, but lots of fun nevertheless. A more
thrilling experience I think is to swim or be dragged behind the boat
across this imaginary line, crossing from the southern to the northern
hemisphere. The wind was just strong enough to hold the gennikar up and we
were going at about 4kts with the engines off. 4kts is the maximum you
want to be dragged behind a boat, after that it becomes very hard to pull
yourself back to the boat. Dan and myself tied two log mooring lines
together and attached the ends to the cleats at the back. We often do this
to slow the boat down a bit, forming a big loop in the water. I asked
Carey if she could lift twice her body weight jokingly, as that is what
she might have to do to pull herself in. I also told her to rather wear a
t-shirt as the drag might pull her swimming costume off. I thought that
once the two boyz were in, it would slow us down even more making it easier
for Carey to hold on. Three minutes before we got to the equator, everything
was set in place. GoPro fixed to the flybridge to record the event. I
started the counting from 20, 19, 18......and at 10 seconds to go Dan and
Tristan jumped in first holding onto the mooring line. Carey followed and
all three of them were dragged across the equator. Carey started moving
further back to the loop of the line, and unexpectedly she got dragged
under the water with the line at her back. The only thing she could do was
to let go. I shouted at Dan from the flybridge to let go and stay with
Carey which he did. He had to swim a bit back to get to her, but soon he
was with her. I needed him to give her moral support and two people are also
easier to find than one person. I shouted at Richard to get to the gennikar
and get ready to get it down. At the same time I started both engines and
got ready to turn the boat around. Tristan was still holding on but could
not get back on the boat as we were going just a tad to fast. Richard was
ready to snuff the gennikar, and as I turned the boat around and the sail
back filled, he pulled it down in a flash. By this time we were already half
a mile away from Carey and Dan and Tristan could get on as we slowed to turn
around. The wind was straight from behind when we left Carey and Dan, and it
was thus fairly easy to point in their direction by turning straight back
into the breeze. From the high flybridge it was fairly easy to keep a visual
on them. Now and then though they would disappear in the glare of the sun
and the swell. A moment of panic for me, but trusting my experience and
going straight back on our track I stayed completely calm and focused.
Incredibly relieved and thankful and we were all very happy to have crossed
the equator in such an unforgettable manner. Happy to be alive, happy having
each other on board, great for crew dynamics. Do not try this at home :)))
All and all it took less than six minutes from crossing the equator, shaking
two of our crew, dropping the sail and picking them up again. We all had
full confidence in each other. I also think we were all slightly shaken and
stirred :))) Carey baked some scrumptious loafs of bread and at lunch time
we were all sitting upstairs with big smiles each sharing our own experience
of the event. We should have dropped the sail before we crossed the equator.
Lesson learned. Sometimes we live on the edge of the edge. Totally absorbed
in the moment.
Last night there was some distant lightning on the horizon. I think so.
Richard said on his watch he saw four flashes far off. Could have been
flares too. A few fishing boats operating in the area. At about ten this
morning we had a huge pod of dolphins visiting us, showing us some
boisterous somersaulting and beautiful in sync swimming. The sun was bright
with a bank of clouds slowly moving in on us. There was hardly a breeze and
we were motoring smoothly up and down the long swells maintaining good
speed. So many dolphins....no wind.....turned the motor off and jumped into
the water. You could clearly hear their excited clicking noises and could
see them with goggles on. They circled us a bit but kept a fair distance.
Being in the water with all these wild dolphins in close proximity,
sigh....no words...just blessings. Carey also jumped in, a brave step after
the ordeal the day before. Tough cookie. She is now a true sailor with tales
to tell and like us all, have gained a new respect and appreciation for
life, for the ocean. And then the rain came.....buckets and buckets of rain.
First good rains we've had in 26 days since we left Cape Town. Like tribal
hooligans we ran out and dancing in the rain we also grabbed brooms and rags
and gave Second Wind a good boat wash. Also filled some bottles with fresh
free range organic ocean rain water :)))
A small black sea bird came fluttering around the boat and having seen this
a few times before, informed my crew that the bird is looking for a place to
come and sit on the boat. I also informed them that when you see these birds
there are always tuna in the area. A minute later the bird found a place
just in front of the helming station to land. He must have been exhausted
from the rain all around and needed to rest and dry his wings. Two minutes
later our one reel started sounding and we had a fish on. We also saw
something floating in the water a short distance away and were on our way to
have a closer look when the fish took the lure. The floating object looked
like a whale carcass from afar, but turned out to be a fairly big float with
a fishing net around it. Obviously one of the fishing boats are using this
device to catch fish. We just landed the yellow fin tuna when our hand line
also hooked a fish, a bonito. This time it was Dan's turn to take a bite out
of the tuna's heart. It is a tribal thing. In a weird upside down sort of
way this is our way of giving thanks to the spirit of the fish, heart to
heart. Richard and Tristan filleted the fish, laid it on some ice for half
an hour, and then out come the long awaited wasabi, pickled ginger and soya
sauce. Sushimi, really fresh from the ocean. Add to that some fresh
rainwater to drink, and once again we were grateful and thankful and humbled
by this beautiful experience we call life. Our spirits are soaring.
The northern hemisphere is turning out to be quite a number. Following winds
and seas are over for now as we start facing the headwinds towards Cape
Verde. At the moment we are going through the tropical rain belt, and yes,
it is still raining :))) Not much wind here, but a little higher north we
can expect a bit more wind. The little webbed footed black bird is still
with us. Moved position a bit and now comfortably protected from the wind
and rain under our table on the flybridge. Thanks for sharing a bit of your
time with us. Will post again soon.
Paul
take our lures, a massive wahoo smashed one of our lures. Taking line at
an alarming rate there were a few lessons to be learned. Our trace was
nylon, and I knew only a matter of time before the wahoo's razor sharp
teeth would cut through the nylon. We were also going at quite some speed
with the gennikar up, and just about no time to drop it and turn the boat
around. After making some noise with the boat's horn, Tristan came up to
see what is going on. Helplessly we stood and watch the wahoo thrashing
and splashing and then our line went slack. We worked on a plan of action
should a big fish take one of our lures again. All hands on deck, drop the
gennikar and turn the boat around, as quick as possible. We replaced the
nylon traces with steel wire traces should a wahoo be lured into striking
again. The night before we had a fishing boat or two in the distance, we
had some dolphins and were expecting tuna, big tuna. Dolphins at night is an
amazing sight. The bioluminescence outlining there torpedo shaped bodies
perfectly.
Led out some line again, and not long before a massive fish, a tuna I
think, got hooked. This time we were ready, and in a flash the gennikar
was down, and we could turn the boat around to chase after this big fish.
Feeling supremely confident that we've got it, it swam in under the boat
and our line got stuck on one of the rudders :( Another fish, another
lure. We raised the gennikar again and carried on sailing, slightly
dismayed. But as conditions were perfect for fishing, I quickly tied
another lure on, led out some line, and before I could place the rod in
the rod holder, I had a fish on again. The guys thought I was just joking.
On a previous occasion, after many days of nothing, I let a rag slide down
the line, and when it reached the lure it got hooked and caused enough
drag to make the reel scream in delight. I passed the rod to Tristan and
he started reeling in. I knowingly looked to Carey and told her, rag fish.
As the rag and lure popped over a wave it jumped out of the water a bit,
which made it look even more legit. We were on the flybridge and below us
Richard and Dan had the gaff out and ready, a knife, and great was he
disappointment when it turned out to be a rag. Tristan said it was one of
the most disappointing moments of his life. The guys though the rag must
have blown off and somehow got snagged by the lure. As I have already told
Carey it was a rag fish, I told the boyz it was just a practise run to see
how quick our reaction time would be. Which is why the guys were thinking
I might be joking when they saw me reeling in a fish, having just let the
line out. I could feel it was not very big and no need to drop the sail
and turn the boat around. I passed the rod to Tristan and he reeled the
fish in. Richard and Dan handled the gaff and knife, and soon we had our
first fish on S/V Second Wind. A medium size bonito, not my favourite fish
by a long shot, but it was filleted and the fillets placed in a container
in one our outside fridges. Tristan had tohave a piece if the bonny's heart,
a law us mariners live by. The next day it was spiced and fried and we
all enjoyed our first taste of fresh fish for the trip.
Yesterday we were closing in on the equator, and at about 10:00 we were
getting ready for the initiation. Three of my crew have never crossed the
equator, and it is a very special occasion in any mariner's life. Normally
we break an egg on the person's head, with some flour and syrup etc etc
etc. A sticky messy situation, but lots of fun nevertheless. A more
thrilling experience I think is to swim or be dragged behind the boat
across this imaginary line, crossing from the southern to the northern
hemisphere. The wind was just strong enough to hold the gennikar up and we
were going at about 4kts with the engines off. 4kts is the maximum you
want to be dragged behind a boat, after that it becomes very hard to pull
yourself back to the boat. Dan and myself tied two log mooring lines
together and attached the ends to the cleats at the back. We often do this
to slow the boat down a bit, forming a big loop in the water. I asked
Carey if she could lift twice her body weight jokingly, as that is what
she might have to do to pull herself in. I also told her to rather wear a
t-shirt as the drag might pull her swimming costume off. I thought that
once the two boyz were in, it would slow us down even more making it easier
for Carey to hold on. Three minutes before we got to the equator, everything
was set in place. GoPro fixed to the flybridge to record the event. I
started the counting from 20, 19, 18......and at 10 seconds to go Dan and
Tristan jumped in first holding onto the mooring line. Carey followed and
all three of them were dragged across the equator. Carey started moving
further back to the loop of the line, and unexpectedly she got dragged
under the water with the line at her back. The only thing she could do was
to let go. I shouted at Dan from the flybridge to let go and stay with
Carey which he did. He had to swim a bit back to get to her, but soon he
was with her. I needed him to give her moral support and two people are also
easier to find than one person. I shouted at Richard to get to the gennikar
and get ready to get it down. At the same time I started both engines and
got ready to turn the boat around. Tristan was still holding on but could
not get back on the boat as we were going just a tad to fast. Richard was
ready to snuff the gennikar, and as I turned the boat around and the sail
back filled, he pulled it down in a flash. By this time we were already half
a mile away from Carey and Dan and Tristan could get on as we slowed to turn
around. The wind was straight from behind when we left Carey and Dan, and it
was thus fairly easy to point in their direction by turning straight back
into the breeze. From the high flybridge it was fairly easy to keep a visual
on them. Now and then though they would disappear in the glare of the sun
and the swell. A moment of panic for me, but trusting my experience and
going straight back on our track I stayed completely calm and focused.
Incredibly relieved and thankful and we were all very happy to have crossed
the equator in such an unforgettable manner. Happy to be alive, happy having
each other on board, great for crew dynamics. Do not try this at home :)))
All and all it took less than six minutes from crossing the equator, shaking
two of our crew, dropping the sail and picking them up again. We all had
full confidence in each other. I also think we were all slightly shaken and
stirred :))) Carey baked some scrumptious loafs of bread and at lunch time
we were all sitting upstairs with big smiles each sharing our own experience
of the event. We should have dropped the sail before we crossed the equator.
Lesson learned. Sometimes we live on the edge of the edge. Totally absorbed
in the moment.
Last night there was some distant lightning on the horizon. I think so.
Richard said on his watch he saw four flashes far off. Could have been
flares too. A few fishing boats operating in the area. At about ten this
morning we had a huge pod of dolphins visiting us, showing us some
boisterous somersaulting and beautiful in sync swimming. The sun was bright
with a bank of clouds slowly moving in on us. There was hardly a breeze and
we were motoring smoothly up and down the long swells maintaining good
speed. So many dolphins....no wind.....turned the motor off and jumped into
the water. You could clearly hear their excited clicking noises and could
see them with goggles on. They circled us a bit but kept a fair distance.
Being in the water with all these wild dolphins in close proximity,
sigh....no words...just blessings. Carey also jumped in, a brave step after
the ordeal the day before. Tough cookie. She is now a true sailor with tales
to tell and like us all, have gained a new respect and appreciation for
life, for the ocean. And then the rain came.....buckets and buckets of rain.
First good rains we've had in 26 days since we left Cape Town. Like tribal
hooligans we ran out and dancing in the rain we also grabbed brooms and rags
and gave Second Wind a good boat wash. Also filled some bottles with fresh
free range organic ocean rain water :)))
A small black sea bird came fluttering around the boat and having seen this
a few times before, informed my crew that the bird is looking for a place to
come and sit on the boat. I also informed them that when you see these birds
there are always tuna in the area. A minute later the bird found a place
just in front of the helming station to land. He must have been exhausted
from the rain all around and needed to rest and dry his wings. Two minutes
later our one reel started sounding and we had a fish on. We also saw
something floating in the water a short distance away and were on our way to
have a closer look when the fish took the lure. The floating object looked
like a whale carcass from afar, but turned out to be a fairly big float with
a fishing net around it. Obviously one of the fishing boats are using this
device to catch fish. We just landed the yellow fin tuna when our hand line
also hooked a fish, a bonito. This time it was Dan's turn to take a bite out
of the tuna's heart. It is a tribal thing. In a weird upside down sort of
way this is our way of giving thanks to the spirit of the fish, heart to
heart. Richard and Tristan filleted the fish, laid it on some ice for half
an hour, and then out come the long awaited wasabi, pickled ginger and soya
sauce. Sushimi, really fresh from the ocean. Add to that some fresh
rainwater to drink, and once again we were grateful and thankful and humbled
by this beautiful experience we call life. Our spirits are soaring.
The northern hemisphere is turning out to be quite a number. Following winds
and seas are over for now as we start facing the headwinds towards Cape
Verde. At the moment we are going through the tropical rain belt, and yes,
it is still raining :))) Not much wind here, but a little higher north we
can expect a bit more wind. The little webbed footed black bird is still
with us. Moved position a bit and now comfortably protected from the wind
and rain under our table on the flybridge. Thanks for sharing a bit of your
time with us. Will post again soon.
Paul
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