(see http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/winlink.cgi?KG4EYP for latest position)

Around 7 pm we finally managed to land a mahi - in fact, we got two of them, but released one, as there's no way we could eat or save all that meat. Lots of ships around - cruise ships, container ships, tankers. We're still making like a motorboat in approximately zero knots of wind; kind of a bummer not to be sailing, but mmm, flat seas. (Also, it's probably good we're burning up this ancient fuel.)

We thought we'd get a sunset as the skies have been clearer than they have been in some time, but alas, the sun disappeared behind a cloud. We've got the nav lights on and are steaming west-northwest, making about 5.5 knots due to this persistent foul current we can't seem to shake. (At least we're up above five again! When our speed dropped to 4.5 knots we left our original courseline and started looking for better water.) We're counting on the Gulf Stream to make up what we lost, though, when
we get out past the Bahama Banks.

With these calm conditions, hopefully we'll be able to sleep despite the racket of the engine. Single-night overnights are always tough. I've got my mp3 player loaded with various music and an audiobook of one of the Hornblower books; if I get really bored I'll listen to the apocalyptic wacko shortwave stations.

Hee, this is fun, doing these updates. It's the first time I've been able to, as only a few months ago did we manage to figure out how to keep the SSB/ham radio, that I use for onboard email, from interfering with the autopilot. Now I will torture you all with mile-by-mile play-by-plays! Right now, outside...there's WATER! And now...water again! Isn't that exciting?

(Well, we thought so. In the middle of the afternoon, in a particularly glassy stretch of water, we turned off the motor, glided to as much of a halt as the current allowed, stripped, and jumped in. It was a kick swimming in the deep blue, with no points of reference other than the boat.)

Okay, back to watching the lights of Freeport and the bazillion ships. Yay for radar and AIS.
- posted by S/V Windom @ 6/10/2007 [link]