Flying fish have run out of enthusiasm. Only three found this morning.
On the subject of fish. Deciding our recent problems with losing lures was due to inattention I rigged up a couple of ‘alarms’ using nuts on pieces of line set up in such a way that if a fish strikes, the nuts drop to the deck creating a noise that can draw the attention of the watch. Needless to say we caught nothing. We did learn that Leu Cat have caught 17lbs of yellow fin tuna using a hand line we made up and gave to them.
Sailing wing on wing yesterday proved to be more of a success than I expected. Tying preventers to both main and head sail we were able to sail 162 degrees to the apparent wind as opposed to the 125 we’ve been doing on a broad reach. These headings straddle our desired heading so we’re able to zig zag our way to Fatu Hiva. The ride was more comfortable and less windy. The motion was more regular as we were riding the swell more or less in line giving less side to side movement of the boat. I’m not comfortable sailing this way at night so for the next 2-3 days we’ll sail wing on wing during the day and revert to the broad reach for the night. Despite the lack of current, the zig zag course and our daily regeneration we’re still making over 160nm per day. We may just arrive on May 1st, just six days away, as long as the wind holds out.
In a way, this change in sailing represents the initial maneuvering aimed at landfall. For me this has raised my excitement levels a little. The Marquesas, in mind mind, are the first real South Pacific landfall which form the core of the round the world sailing dream that has driven me for the last eight or nine years. I’m looking forward to this immensely. Overnight we’ve passed the 1,000nm to go mark and our now into triple digits remaining. I think I can speak for all that we’re all looking forward to landfall. A decent, regular nights sleep. A stable boat. Land. A beer.
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