No fish no problem

Last night was a bit uneven and bumpy. The swell was short and not settled in a definite direction. The colder winds from the south were having us on a broad reach with full genoa and our mainsail opened wide, and our autopilot was set on 120° to the wind, right on course for St.Helena. The wind started backing to south east and we were starting to sail more in a westerly direction, instead of north westerly towards our waypoint. At about midnight we furled in the genoa and have since been sailing just with the mainsail, wind angle set at 160°. The swell has now settled in, and the swell period is also much longer. Which makes for more smoother and faster sailing.Sailing fast is not our main objective. Safety and comfort on long ocean passages is far more important than speed. The apparent wind speed is around 15kts, and we are maintaining a 7kts average.

St.Helena is now less than a 1000nm away and we expect to arrive there in a week's time. It will be my 48th visit to this dramatic volcanic island in the middle of the south Atlantic ocean. It is unlike any other place I have visited, both the scenery and the inhabitants, known as Saints. For me it's a home away from home. I have quite a few dear friends there, and always an immense pleasure to visit.

I've decided to do lunch today. Don's wife Jane has been doing the cooking, and I thought I'll give her a break today. Spaghetti bolognaise is on the menu. One day I will learn how to make real Italian pasta. The best I've had was in Sardinia, and the amazing thing was how little ingredients were used. Although it was simple, it was beyond delicious. Could have been the fresh ingredients, the real olive oil, the glass of wine, or perhaps it was the company. Thinking about it now, I guess it was a combination of all the above.

Out behind us our fishing lures are trolling through the water. No action yet, but we are ready. Can't catch a fish without a lure in the water. Interesting how at times fishing is good, and at other times not so good. I have made an intensive study on this, and the moon has a major impact on when fish feed. Whether lakes, rivers or the ocean. When the moon is right above or right below you are when fish feed the most. Good times to fish are also when the moon is on the horizon, either rising or setting. There are quite a few other factors as well, and I guess every fisherman has a secret or two. All in good time.

We've only been out five days, and looking back, we are doing quite well. Sad to hear that there are fires on Table Mountain. SV Jubilee is behaving exceptionally well. All the systems are working perfectly, our solar panels are keeping us in good shape power wise. I think it is time I start chopping some onions and garlic, and get going on lunch.

Hope you have a great week ahead.

Chat again soon

Paul

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