Archiv

CW51 2001

16.12.2001 - 22.12.2001

It is Sunday the 16.12 and we are sailing into a beautiful day, furthermore it is the 3rd advent.
Because it looks as if we could change sails soon, the change of guard takes a bit longer this morning. But it is worth it. At quarter to seven we hiss the Spi and glide with a nice steady 5 knots. A little bit later, in addition to our beautiful sailing weather we had a tasty breakfast with freshly baked bread, banana pancakes and nice fresh fruit salad. Although our reserve of fresh fruit and vegetables is slowly diminishing, we definitely not suffer from scorbut.
The wind is not very strong, but consistent and that with a clear blue sky makes the finest trade-wind weather, even with a 30°C air temperature.
That is a way to live or what!? Tomorrow, according to the weather bureau, a "calm" is predicted, but we are going to see what the day brings.
There is no "calm" in our angler's luck. Thomas, during the early morning watch, already caught a fat dorrad. As each dorrad looks different and has its own beauty, you will get another couple of pictures to look at.

Because we are going make ourselves tasty paella this evening, and as we don't eat fish every day, this fish will end up, nicely filleted, in the fridge for tomorrow. Although it is Sunday, where on the seventh day one should rest, we still have something important to do today: the freezer and fridge must be defrosted. As always a smooth task and within a few hours everything is clean and re-packed without any losses. These apparatus have to function, otherwise it over with our luxuries of sitting in the cockpit and licking a cold ice cream. As you can see, life treats us well. The spinnaker is working well, so well in fact, that it remains hissed throughout the night.

Monday morning and it just doesn't want to dawn. Only around 07:00 does it become light and a half an hour later the sun comes up. Ok, it was a beautiful sunrise, but rather late. It's probably now, that we check out time zone again!
To check was also our sailing direction, as the wind was turning and it was better to swap the spi for the genaker. For 2 hours we sailed, but then the wind became stronger and we decided to change sails again and hauled out the fore sail. That's how we sailed on towards breakfast, which is always at 10:00 o' clock. Having been strengthened by our breakfast we set the main sail immediately afterwards. With a half strength wind we can continue like that till late afternoon. Before it becomes dark, we prepare for the night and reef the main sail. Because the dawn was so late this morning, it also turns dark later, but our position tells us that it's not yet time to adjust our time, because only in the afternoon did we cross the 40 degree of latitude. So it was still light wenn we enjoyed our freshly caught fish, before we set sail into the night with perfectly trimmed sails. 23:33 o' clock, the GPS indicates 1200nm and from day to day it is getting less. We sail through a clear and starry night, but Wednesday greets us with a miserable misty weather and before long we knew why.
The "calm" had actually arrived! We can only sail for about an hour in early noon, for the rest of time the engine is on. But we cannot use the engine the whole time because diesel, on travels like this, is a hard to come by commodity and hence we let ourselves drift for a while. That is the chance to small bath in our large bathtub. But only 3 of the four of us think alike. One should probably stay on board and of course it has to be documented with a photograph.
Well, that with the photograph is an excuse and not the reason.

I do not need that! With so much water or rather with all that is to be found in it, I have got far to much respect and elegantly decline. With the water being so calm, it gives the chance to refill the diesel tanks. The last 30 litres from the canister go into the starboard tank, as the fuel consumption is higher there, as the generator also uses from those tanks. Ah well, as we still have a couple of miles ahead of us, we will be using the generator more sparingly in the near future. Not that we have used it over excessively up to now, but from now on we will have to use it more selectively. So there will be fewer meals from the oven and more from the stove. So everything it will just be rationed … when bread or cake is baked or wenn the desalination system is going to be used for fresh water.

All in all, still a great luxury just with a lower dosage.
Strangely enough, late afternoon, in the distance a large drum drifts in the water. Could it possibly be diesel ? :)
Here we drift, no clouds nor wind. But we have something else in mind … a nice sausage salad. Sausage salad made from a fine home made ham sausage. At this point, greetings and thanks to Sepp.
Sometimes it helps just to be patient. The wind picks up to 4 knots. This is enough motivation to hiss the genaker and it's just perfect. We are not the fastest, but the most beautiful far and wide. So we sail till shortly before midnight and then its over. The engines are on for 2 hours, and then there is wind again. Although it was only a breath of wind, we wanted to use it and haul out the genaker again.
We are sailing again, yeah. But our luck does not last for long, as the wind now hits us from behind, which is not good for the genaker, but requires the spinnaker. This changing of sails takes us a while longer. In the north, there is alight appearing on the horizon. So we are not travelling alone after all! The light turns out to be a freighter with fairly poor lighting, which does not make it easy to determine where he wants to go.
It's 10 past 3 o' clock when the spinnaker is hissed and we are sailing again. It's a bit rocky, but at least we're moving forward, which is confirmed at 05:30 with a short glance on the GPS indicating: another 1111nm. Nice number. Ok, it is still quite a lot, but considering that we have got 1700nm behind us already; so just looking forward now. This is wise anyway, but not just forward, also all round. Motto: "keep a sharp look out!"
So that the eyes can relax again after all this sharp watching, I can catch a bit of shut eye till 10:00 just in time for breakfast, after the "dog watch".
Nice weather greets me on this Wednesday morning und to get my still tired eyes used to the day, I simply glance across the water. Hmm, but what's that? I actually had to rub my eyes, because what I saw could not be. It looked as if a cloud was hanging just above, or rather almost lying on the water. Winking my eyes again, I noticed that the whole mass was moving. Time to fetch the binoculars. That it could not be a cloud was clear, but what it appeared to be is just amazing: a water fountain from a (?) whale! The fact that is was recognisable with the eye from such a distance ensured me that something bigger was on its way. As these animals having considerable diving times, it is not so easy to keep track. Logically I had sounded the alarm by then already and now everybody was keeping a watch. It did not take long until the last we saw of him was on our port side. Unbelievable! We can look as much as we want to and all around us, simply gone. But then THEY emerge on our starboard side again; it's two of them! They are swimming fairly closely together and now it was clear to see: two colossus and that fairly close. They do not stay for long, what the last sight we caught of them was absolutely amazing. They both dive down in our direction in such a way that their hind flipper sticks far out of the water. A vision that is indescribable.
Still captivated by these impressions we will first have breakfast together.
Now here we sit and are asking ourselves what day of the week it actually is. Slowly we are really loosing the sense of time. And because it stays dark so long in the morning, like the previous days, we had to turn the dials on our watches once again. Our local time is therefore UTC, hence world time minus 3 hours, and are 4 hours back in relation to the CET.
Today is spi and wash-day. Almost for the whole day we can leave the spinnaker hissed and a day of washing also has to occur every now and then, especially since we don't have any clean drying-off cloth left. After a sail change, we continue sailing forward with the genaker, with our washing on the washing line that spans from the fore sail to the starboard.
The washing gets taken off for the night, but the genaker remains exactly where it is. On Thursday the dawn occurs at a normal tie again and feels more normal again. We did well in adjusting "our" watch times to that of the light conditions.
With the genaker hissed throughout the night, we sailed at a constant 5 knots, but that is changing as a fresh wind is picking origination from dark in the north that are travelling towards us. With the fore sail hissed, we make 1000nm mark; only another 1000nm to our destination!
With a etmal like today, it should be possible to make it in 10 days, but one can not always depend on that and hence rather calculates a couple of minutes more. It only takes a couple of minutes before the wind whistles around our ears and a slow drizzle begins, but nothing more happened.
For a couple of days now we did not try to catch fish, as our "menu" did not have a fish meal on it. However, slowly but surely a fish would be nice again. But unfortunately the fish wants neither the super-duper-lure nor the dame-lure today.
Today the sky remains overcast and the wind is also fairly inconsistent so that a number of sail changes have to be done. The same occurs round 16:00, as the wind allows us to raise the main sail. Petra is on watch and sitting at the ruder as I come out of salon into the cockpit and stood still with shock. She looked at me questioningly and I pointed only with my finger in her direction. "thhh thh there" I still stuttered. Not that I could not talk anymore, but that was probably all I was still capable of , when I saw a dark fin almost underneath our hull. I am allowed to stutter in those moments, ain't I? But not for long, I shout out loud " a whale". Petra jumps up affrightedly and Thomas is also immediately in the cockpit and saw him as well.

Mind you, he saw another one. There are two of them again, although two smaller ones, as far as one talk of small concerning those animals. Thomas and I are standing on the roof and Petra at the railing as one of them swims by us very closely. However, he did not swim past us in the normal fashion, but on his side showing us his glorious stomach. For Petra it seems, as she would be able to touch them at any moment. They are on both sides of the boat and continuously dive underneath us and emerge in the front sides or back of the boat. Then they disappear for a short while, only to approach us from the back again. It is simply amazing!

On numerous occasions they break the water surface and blow out a fountain of water, which we can see and hear. What we can also see very clearly are the two "nostrils" they possess. They are probably not really called "nostrils", but what do you call them on a whale? They also emerged with their heads directly next us. Again and again they swim past us, on their sides and parallel to the hull of the boat.

We would have never thought that whales are so playful. They remained with us for almost an entire hour. We were all mesmerized, what an adeventure … wow! But now it has really become time to set the main sail, so lets go for it. The wind has become a bit stronger and as we would have done it for the night anyway, so we reefed the main sail. It is shortly before 18:00 when we reach the 45-degree of latitude.

Our experience with the whales delayed our preparation for dinner slightly, but it was well worth it.
So today it's a little bit later as we sit together after a nice meal. However, not enough experiences for today. From our cabin a loud and strange noise emerges, almost a loud banging sound. Did a door open and is slamming against the side panel? I walk down the stairs, turn on the lights and immediately run up the stairs again.
A (stupid) flying fish lost his way into our cabin. Now the Atlantic is so big and we're so small and the hole through which the fish came even smaller. Luck is not on his side. Now there he is, lying on the floor flapping about wildly. Thomas fetches a glove and throws him back into the water. But on the way, the fish drops to floor as he is just flapping too wildly. The fish is gone, the fright still there and not to mention the smell. The little fellow left quite a pong behind. I can't understand that people exist, that actually eat those fish.
Ah well, so what … get the bucket and remove the last traces. All is well again.
Like before, it is still quite cloudy and nothing will probably change that during the night. Close to midnight we receive a few raindrops and the sky remains overcast. Around 5:00 o' clock the wind does not blow nicely anymore and its time to reef out. We complete the task fairly fast, as by now we are three people on deck. Yet we do not appear to be travelling alone anymore, because directly ahead of us a light appeared. A ship. Within the next 20 minutes we changed the course for more than 20°, as the ship was heading directly for us, and I mean directly. Yet he showed no reaction and our radar showed two signals? A quarter of an hour later we could see why. It was not just one, but two ships; a tug, with a lager ship towing behind it. No wonder it does not change its course. Were still 3nm away and sail in a large curve to give them enough space to pass us by on the port side. An interesting picture. And again, now the Atlantic is so big, and on our course we get a tug, amazing.
A half an hour later we are back on course and an experience richer. The sky is clearing and the sun shining, so the weather should become friendlier today. Along with this nice weather, the wind blows from behind, i.e. good enough to change sails to the spinnaker.
But what happens then, oh dear! He hooks on something and with a ripping noise it was broken.
We haul it back in and hiss the genaker and then have a relaxed breakfast, then we will see further.
It can happen that a sail rips; therefore the stocking of repair material is essential to fix it on board, as far as that is possible. To inspect the damage done, we spread the sail out on the salon table. What now? It is has been hard hit, ripped halfway to almost half its height and that in at multiple locations. The question is now: sowing or fix it with tape. We'll try the tape!
Back at home the one or other person is probably still rigging up their Christmas decorations, we're rigging up our sail and that with quite some success. After about an hour, the reparation is complete. Today we cannot hiss it gain, hence it will wait, neatly packed in a bundle, till we need it again. But no matter what, we need a new spinnaker.
After the shock this morning we experience one adventure after the other. After a two week fight, writing e-mails and numerous phone calls, our onboard telephone works again. No one had been able to phone us. What the problem was, we are still not entirely sure about, but now we have a number through which we can be contacted again. How and when we are available can still be found on our homepage under "contact".
The other event: FISH, since 07:30 o' clock our lure is taking a bath and round about 17:00 o' clock another nice dorrad decides to take a bite. It is difficult to say where credit is due, because I let out the lure and Martin reeled in the line.
The important thing is that the fish is on board, so Martin "Petri heil".
All in all that's enough or today and the night can come. With the gnaker hissed, we continue like this till Saturday the 22.12.2001.
In the wind and water it becomes visible what the weather forecast predicted: the next "calm" has arrived. It is quarter to nine, when the wind stops. The sails are hauled in and the engines started. Because diesel is a rare commodity, we cannot keep the engines running for too long. The sea is flat and shows no motion. Not a breath of wind and it's just simply hot! In the direct sun, we measure 42°C and in the shade it's only 10°C less. It is even to hot for the flying fish, as we can't even spot one. Also today, we try to use every opportunity to sail with each breath of wind that comes up. But the sailing does not work very well. The wind is just too weak and the "calm" remains! In the evening, there is a mini-breeze and with main sail and fore sail hissed we manage to sail 2 knots. Ok, so what's 2 knots; but it's still better then just drifting along.
That works till 23:00 o' clock, and then the sailing stops entirely. So I take over the midnight watch from Petra and that with the engines running. Not very nice, is it?!
Also throughout the night, when it's possible to sail, the sails are hissed. The main sail remains, so that it only has to be set and the fore sail hissed. 3 times the wind meter gives us false hope, let's me set the sails, only to turn on the engines again a short while later. The fact that it is extremely misty tonight, making it difficult to distinguish water from horizon, does not make it easier. I have the last try, just before the watch change. Yes, we are sailing again. Not very fast, but the engines are off and we can at least head towards our course again, on which Thomas is keeping an eye. At 03:27 o' clock we reach a nice position of 048° 48,484W.
What else comes our way, what else this new week brings
… back here in one week:
same wave, same place!
so long

Diana + Thomas
Petra + Martin

Merry Christmas!

Oh yes, a warm soup on cold days is very good for the stomach!
Also tastes good on warm days and that in all its variations.
So before we forget our culinary tip, here it is:
Carrot-cream soup
Ingredients:
1 small onion
2 table spoons of butter
500g carrots
200g potatoes, the mealy type
1 l beef stock
0,1 l cream
Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper
Lemon juice

Peel the onion, and dice it fine and cook in butter till soft.
Peel the potatoes and carrots dice finely and add to the onions. Let it cook together with the onions for about 10 minutes. Add the beef stock and cream and let it simmer for about 20 minutes
Puree with a mixer
Add salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and lemon juice to taste. Voila its finished.

That was the "natural" variant, but one can add a bit of extra zing. Two examples:
1. Leeks and bacon
1 small leek, clean and cut into fine rings.
50 g of non-lean bacon, cut into small strips or diced finely
Fry the bacon shortly in 1 tablespoon of oil adding the leek just to simmer.
Put soup on the plate and pour this mixture over!

2. With shrimps
Shortly fry one heaped tablespoon of cooked shrimps per person. Add cayenne pepper or pepperrocini to taste.
Put the shrimps on the plate and add the soup. 1 soup, 3 variations!
The most important housewife tip: "very easy and simple to prepare" :)