Yesterday we were motoring, but today we are sailing!
Time: 5:00PM PDT Position: Latitude 32 deg, 21 min north, Longitude 153 deg, 47 min west. Course 35 degrees magnetic, speed 7 kts.
Having run the diesel engine non-stop for about twenty hours, at 5:00AM PDT we finally got the wind we were hoping for and we shut the chugging beast down. We set our sails to starboard in the freshening breeze and have been sailing since then. The wind has been steadily building to the current 15-20 kt strength, where is is forecast to remain for the rest of the day. We are now sailing roughly northeast, planning to sail north of San Francisco and then swing down for our final approach.
Yesterday after our great fish taco lunch we were visited by three large whales. They swam to within a few hundred feet of the boat. spouting and showing their bluff dark heads. As best we could guess they were sperm whales, but we will have to check our photos when we get home to be sure. They stayed with us for about fifteen minutes then went on their way.
After the whale visit, Paul C. put two fishing lines back in the water. Within a few hours, we had a big 41-inch Mahi-mahi on the line. Paul and Oliver wrestled the fish aboard, and soon we had enough Mahi steaks for a great dinner, including salad and wild rice. We decided to watch a DVD out in the cockpit while we were eating, but half an hour into “A Scanner Darkly” the laptop battery gave out (it seems that the power outlet in the cockpit was not delivering power. By then it was time for the midnight radio schedule, so perhaps we will resume our cinematic presentation later.
We continued to motor through the early morning hours, enjoying the stars and the peak of the Pleades meteor shower. A very beautiful night.
-Paul