All is well on Eye Candy
In the last 24hours we have sailed 146M. The swell is 2.5M with a wind speed of 16-18K. The boat speed is generally between 5 to 7.5 knots. Today we have full sunshine for the first time. The weather is warming up and the nights under full moon are brilliant.
We have a few contenders for the highlight of the day.
Firstly we have now completed one third of the journey.
Secondly today Eye Candy clocked up 20,000 sea miles.
Thirdly Andrew caught another Mahi Mahi late yesterday.
We just threw one back as it was a bit small. Our tally now is 4 Mahi Mahi and 2 Tuna. However the overall winner for the highlight of the day was seeing a pod of 15-20 whales. When first noticed a long way back I thought they were slow moving fat dolphins. Then I saw they had flat noses. I called out to Andrew and Bronwyn who arrived on deck with a video and still camera. I hope they managed to capture the moment - what magnificent creatures. We were doing about 7 knots and the pod, which was doing twice our speed, just cruised pass.
Today's background information is on 'the menu for the trip'
Bitter experience has taught me to do as much as I can at anchor prior to the trip. I compiled a fourteen day menu which included four long lasting emergency meals cooked and stored in aluminum containers. These can go straight in the oven. The other ten meals have plastic boxes in the fridge with vegetables cut up, sauces and other ingredients included. Each box has final instructions attached, so I don't have to be referring to recipes.
It took me two days of cooking and chopping at anchor to achieve this but it has made the cooking on passage very easy.
I guess everyone does it differently but I came from 'prepare for the worst and hope for the best'.
Yesterday I complimented Andrew on his trimming of the sails and keeping the boat as stable as possible. He said he learnt as a kid how to race a small 11 foot Heron yacht under spinnaker. "If I didn't keep the boat balanced directly under the spinnaker I would end up in the drink" A pretty good incentive as he sailed on the Derwent River in Hobart.
More on that tomorrow in our segment "background information".
Love Candy xx
At 4:09 PM7/01/2012 (utc) our position was 14°39.83'N 037°36.30'W
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