Nine days into our Atlantic crossing...
Hope you have all had an enjoyable Christmas with friends and family. We celebrated with a large chicken and mushroom pie (In the freezer since Tenerife!) and Cape Verdian potatoes and carrots, washed down with some bubbly. Santa hats were worn, presents opened and even 4 small stockings had made their way on board and we're hanging above the companionway, not forgetting the Christmas tree (see photo posted previously). All in all a memorable day!
It is now dark, windy and wet outside at the end of Day Nine.... Niall is on watch, Kyle in his bunk, Paul editing video in the saloon while I write.
Today has been an amazing day of whale watching and filming. We have seen a Minke whale the last 2 or 3 days, following us then accelerating past us so it wasn't too much of a surprise when we spotted another one surfing the swell just behind us. What was a surprise was to se a second and then a third! Cameras, iPhones and GoPro were deployed in a major photographic operation... the GoPro attached to the boat hook with a stabilising tether and pushed below the water to catch the underwater action, whilst cameras and iPhones attempted to capture any above water action. after a while we reduced speed so did the minkes, who then proceeded to make slow runs alongside and under us. We spent a good couple of hours occupied this way before getting back under way. The 3 whales were still following us later in the afternoon. The GoPro has produced some amazing footage which will be uploaded to the Skipper's blog and TTRTW Facebook page when possible.
Otherwise the big news was that we tacked on to a port tack in the morning!
Morning of day 10...
We tacked back on to starboard at 0500 local time (GMT-3) after the wind went back to a N Easterly rather than Easterly so we could set a course closer to West than South. You should be able to spot this latest tack on the tracker (link at the top of the webpage) by now. At present we ought to make landfall on the 3rd Jan as long as we maintain course and speed, although it seems as if here may be less wind in in a day or so's time.
It is now dark, windy and wet outside at the end of Day Nine.... Niall is on watch, Kyle in his bunk, Paul editing video in the saloon while I write.
Today has been an amazing day of whale watching and filming. We have seen a Minke whale the last 2 or 3 days, following us then accelerating past us so it wasn't too much of a surprise when we spotted another one surfing the swell just behind us. What was a surprise was to se a second and then a third! Cameras, iPhones and GoPro were deployed in a major photographic operation... the GoPro attached to the boat hook with a stabilising tether and pushed below the water to catch the underwater action, whilst cameras and iPhones attempted to capture any above water action. after a while we reduced speed so did the minkes, who then proceeded to make slow runs alongside and under us. We spent a good couple of hours occupied this way before getting back under way. The 3 whales were still following us later in the afternoon. The GoPro has produced some amazing footage which will be uploaded to the Skipper's blog and TTRTW Facebook page when possible.
Otherwise the big news was that we tacked on to a port tack in the morning!
Morning of day 10...
We tacked back on to starboard at 0500 local time (GMT-3) after the wind went back to a N Easterly rather than Easterly so we could set a course closer to West than South. You should be able to spot this latest tack on the tracker (link at the top of the webpage) by now. At present we ought to make landfall on the 3rd Jan as long as we maintain course and speed, although it seems as if here may be less wind in in a day or so's time.
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