With 845 nm to cover and very little wind in the first few days we were unsure how long the trip would actually take. We had read that many boats average between 9-15 days - we figured we could do better! We motored-sailed for the first 2 days, trying to keep an average of 4 knots so that we'd arrive within 8 days but at $4/gallon for diesel we tried to be conservative with our fuel use.
With calm seas in the beginning we were able to enjoy some wildlife viewing and time on deck. We saw several hammerhead sharks cruising the surface as well as dozens of jumping rays and pods of dolphins.
The birds were cute to watch - seeking refuge on a floating log.
Enjoying a good book while on watch. We have a 4 hour watch system in place, which works well for us, although when Megan gets pretty tired Mike lets her have a few extra hours - she's always needed A LOT of sleep! Many movies and TV shows were watched to pass the time. Dexter is a new favourite!
Passing the time fishing! We had 5 lines out at a time.
This was a big sucker - didn't taste all that great though. We're still for a yellow fin tuna to bite!
We had one set-back. At about 10pm on day 2, Mike called down to wake me up saying we had an "emergency". Never good words to hear when at sea. Seems we had hit a log of some sort, which was wedged in our starboard rudder. Unsure of the damage done, we quickly lowered the dinghy, got the spotlight out and had a look. It was a 20ft bamboo pole and we were dragging it along, thankfully at a snails pace. With some force Mike was able to dislodge it, a little unnerving after seeing so many sharks that day... Thankfully after an inspection when the sun came up it didn't seem to have done any damage. Crisis averted!
On day 7 at 8pm we officially crossed the equator and into the Southern Hemisphere. Superstition says that a bottle of champagne should be offered to neptune. We made do with a piccolo and some brie to celebrate!
Crossing the equator!
A few drops for Neptune!
Beautiful sunsets!
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