Day 20

Difficult to believe, we’ll have been at sea for three weeks by the time we make landfall in the Azores tomorrow (Thursday). Even more strange given that we were heading to the Canaries, but weather said no.

Our whole lives have been controlled by the ocean and the sea state, the currents, the wind and weather systems, the need to sleep, eat, pay attention on our watches no matter the hour, sleep some more at strange times of day, and the occasional challenges posed by Sukama such as the fridge controller failing and needing the hot wire solution.

Today the weather system has moved on leaving in its wake a confused but mostly benign sea without significant power in the swell though some of the waves still tower above us whilst others give us a shove presumably checking that we’re still paying attention. Happily we still have wind, and sunshine too though there’s been a marked drop in temperature.

Today’s highlight was a visiting whale as big as a bus but he/she teased us. To date we’ve experienced them gliding in a linear direction but this one decided to circle Sukama before continuing on its way. Each time it surfaced it was somewhere we weren’t expecting so in spite of the best efforts of the paparazzi we have virtually no results to show for our efforts. But it was amazing! Beside us, behind us, alongside us, in front of us, and so incredibly close. Another priceless moment of awe to treasure.

And dolphins. But they were shy. They came in different sizes at different times but didn’t choose to linger. They did though put on great entertainment through the port light backlit by the sunset whilst we were eating dinner down below in these chilly northern climes!

The established tradition of great food continued with Malcolm working the galley today, finding various ‘things I made earlier’ that saved the necessity for innovation and helped in the general mission to use the remaining offerings lurking in the fridge. Tonight we dined on chicken in peri peri and caponata. Capo…… what I hear the cry? Caponata which every good Sicilian makes with their plentiful aubergines – I use the Jamie Oliver recipe which works a treat.

I’m pleased to be able to share that we didn’t run out of cheese, which would of course constitute a major disaster, and could only be rescued by dialling up that Royal Navy helicopter. Or tea, the consequences of which could be catastrophic.

With 4 chilled beers from the fridge we shared a final special moment in the cockpit on our last night at sea as the sun bade us good bye and dolphins danced all around.

Signing off at 2.05am from a quiet night watch with occasional rogue waves from the west left by the weather system of yesterday. 50 nautical miles to run to Ponta Delgado.

Sue