Steaming towards Horta

Position: 38N47 031W30

 

Yesterday there was NO WIND. Well as close to not enough to push a heavy boat along as to call it zero. So we put the motor on.

 

Did I tell you that we hit a whale. No. Well we were under sail and gybed. Thirty seconds later BANG. Just like hitting a road calming bump at speed. And a big black tail flipped us the fluke, as if to say "$(*&^%R£$ tourists, don't you know which side of the sea to drive on??" We checked the bilges and keel bolts for signs of water ingress / damage. There was neither.

 

Sooo when we put the motor on there was a horrid knocking coming from the propeller. We went along for a while until we decided to go and have a look underneath. After we'd put down the diving platform, Dean stuck his head under the boat. We have a bent propeller blade. The sound is probably cavitation. And there were lots of jellyfish suddenly came into view under the boat.

 

At dusk we got wind. Suddenly. So up went the Asymmetric Kite. And we got between 5 & 8 Knots for 9 hours. Free miles towards Horta. We now have enough fuel to motor all the way. Hoorah. Beer and the big silver freedom bird await.

 

We've just caught a fish. Then it got away. It was THIS BIG ... (At least 15 LB, Greg)

 

135 miles to go.

 

DBM