Day 8
Roll on you Roaring Forties!
22/12/13 @1400hrs.
It’s been an eventful 20 hours for our watch. Currently we’re at 39 degrees 5.6’ S, 178degrees 13.7.E. Ready to enter the big blows of the Roaring Forties. We are making slow progress towards Napier with an arrival date for tomorrow morning for bunkering and a Xmas stay over. We’ve a southerly wind, on a course of 215’ in a balmy 18.5 degrees. But its cloudy and the sea’s lumpy.
Our last watch was the 8 to midnight, and it was delightful 4 hours. We had been sailing all day and making good time, but by 8pm it was decided that to take in sail and just leave the fore and aft up in anticipation of a stormy night sail.
But our watch was gifted a spectacular sunset and an even more spectacular moon rise. We were treated to Venus and Jupiter, the Milky Way and the Southern Cross. Later on in the watch, a couple of dolphins spent some time playing around the ship. Although we couldn’t see them, we could see their silhouettes as the phosphorescence outlined their body shape and track as they sped around us.
It was a watch of easy motor sailing.
Things had changed this morning when we had woken. It was a grey day, big seas, and a 3 metre swell with the wind driven waves atop of the swell. It did affect a number of the voyage crew.
But the wind and sea conditions did bring in a big number of petrels and a couple of Albatross. Their awesome flying skills enthralled us all as they wheeled and soared around the ship and into the troughs of the sea swell.
At morning Smoko there was a surprise birthday – Godfrey’s – only 9 ½ months late, apparently earlier this year it was missed on board, not that we need any more excuse for another birthday cake this week!
Godfrey’s non birthday cake!
Sunday morning service took place in the bar due to unfavourable weather conditions on the foredeck.
As we write, blue sky is starting to reappear and our watch is about to end.
Forward Port: Sherwood the W/L, Garry, Paul, Sue, Bridget, Mike, Dave, Jenny.
