Galapagos – Marquises
This blog is a few thoughts from my sail across one of the world’s most isolated stretches of ocean, the Pacific from Galapogos to Marquises. It took ‘Fruit Salid 3’ 20 days and 20 hours to sail the 3000nm to the mountainous land fall at the other side.
A typical 24 hours onboard consists of 1 cook, 1 cleaner and 2 sailors who sail during the day time. At night everyone has a 2 hour shift. This system is great as every day is different. Plus everyone takes their cooking day very seriously, ie yummy food!
Just to note: on Salid we actually HELM on our shifts. This is extremely unusual, all sailors use autopilot… I only found this out after the crossing!
20.05.17 – 10.06.17
Day 1: 21.05.17: Good wind. 10 knots. Supposed to be 15- 20 knots wind, 77% of the time. Therefore it should take 16 days according to the wind mapper app… We think 20-25 days. Mark cooked beef and Oyster source stir fry.
If you’re not on shift, you’re in bed by 1900, early nights at sea! I had an amazing starry sky – I turned the navigation lights off and got the binoculars out. Best sky yet. White birds twirling.
Day 3: 23.05.17: Good wind. Small black sea birds. Beef Pad Thai. Amazing night sky again. Tried malted milk, good with ginger nut. Talked about dark thoughts and audio book as a coping mechanism.
Day 5: 25.05.17: No white birds. Lots of flying fish this morning. One bird – black top, white underneath. Mashed potato, steak and onion gravy.
Actually started being productive with my days. Started logbook and mapping route. Windy night shift. First crash gybe of the trip, not too bad. Dark. No stars.
Still not feeling 100% sea legs yet. Poled out the heady as the wind has changed direction. Had our first squall, first bit of minor excitement on the trip! It’s been pretty plain sailing for the first 6 days, touch wood.
Day 7: 27.05.17: An eventful day! 6 flocks of birds. We are 1200 miles from the nearest land – Galapagos. Therefore they must be sea birds. Two came away from the pack and twirled around the mast squawking. We haven’t heard anything but water, sails flapping and Salid creaking for 7 days. It was a real treat for the ears to hear chirping. Black and grey with white patches, agile, swooping into the water.
Lots of flying fish as usual.
Waves= 2-3 meter
wind speed = 10-15 knots
Boat speed = 6-8 knots
Wind direction = East, southeast
Course to steer = 160 degrees
Average mileage = 180nm/day
Listening to Elton John
Silent but violent (Ally has the most disgusting smells from his bottom)
Thinking about memories. Should they be memories or can you make them a reality, the present. For instance food eaten when I was younger. At Granddads I have such strong menories of eating stew which had such a delicious flavour that I haven’t tasted since. A vegetabley carrot soaking flavour. Then at Grandma’s – Lemon Meringue Pie. They say memories of taste and smell from childhood stay with you.
Fish Laksa for dinner.
At 1840 a 10+ pod of pilot whales came and swam with Fruit Salid. They had a torpedo (penis) shaped head and played in the waves and around the bow. The first sea life we’ve seen. I was on the toilet and had to cut my wee short as I was getting shouted on deck. I ran up the stairs and was greeted by a whale 2m from the stern coming towards us surfing a wave.
Cloudy evening, squalls threatening. Misty rain – felt like a pirate ship could pop up on the horizon at any moment. Then 2 birds squawked overhead – I could hear them, but not see them. Wouldn’t be surprised if they were parrots from the ship.
As the crow flies, from Gran Canaria to this point right now (nearly half way across the Pacific) I have sailed 98° around the globe! I.e. quarter circumnavigation.
Pork sweet and sour
Day 11: 31.05.17: Big day of sailing. Chorizo rice.
Day 12: 01.06.17: 2 HUGE flying fish lept out the ocean and smacked Salid one after the other! Thank God it wasn’t aimed at my head, the force could have knocked me out! Usually flying fish are as big as your hand. These two were as big as your arm!
Day 13: 02.06.17: fish fajitas. Very tired night shifts. Realised it’s lots of helming!
Day 14: 03.06.17: I’m cook – fish pindasaus. 826nm to go, should take around 6 days.
Day 15: 04.06.17: First salty shower of the trip… 15 days dirty! Watched James Bond, Golden Eye. Fish Tom Yum soup. Great night shift, moon really bright and shining the way.
Day 16: 05.06.17: Light conditions. Flappy sails. Tom Yum soup again. Moon big and bright again.
Day 18: 07.06.17: amazing shift from 0500-0700. Saw the moon go down in the west. Big and yellow. Stars shining on dark navy sky. Then moments later the sun rose in the east. Grateful to be able to witness.
Day 19: 08.06.17: Big black squall night shift. Fish Thai Green Curry for dinner.
Something about night shifts that allows you to think and discuss anything.
Tonight I thought about the future. How I feel mentality changed to my youthful self. I remember being on a bikeride with Jess in China 5 years ago and feeling like I could do anything. Then when I got my first job for some reason you feel like that defines where you can go and what you can do. Maybe that is reality but I would like to get back to feeling that the world is my oyster.
Full moon.
Day 20: 09.06.17: Final day at sea. 120nm to go. I’ve still got so much to do!
George the Pigeon 