Jadamama - Jadamama blog - Pacific Blues

Here we are, 11 days out of Puerto Ayora in the Galapagos, having passed the halfway point on Friday evening, and about 1,280 nm to go as I write this early on Sunday morning Ship’s time.

The Tradewinds are proving fickle, with lots of blue areas, areas of light or no wind, spreading over our path westwards and our routing software seemingly unable to find a sensible route through, so we are trying to thread the needle to stay in the bands of wind. To do this the big blue butterfly is our sail of choice as it can pull us along at about 50% of the wind speed. Unfortunately the wind angles are such that it keeps dragging us North towards the blue areas on the map. Blue attracting blue???

The strategy has therefore become run northwards under blue at night and in the morning change to the yellow genniker to regain a southerly position. Bit of work in this, hoist main, furl and drop blue, hoist and unfurl yellow, set daytime course. Reverse the process in the evening.

To add to our woes, our fishing has proven tricky. The normal rule would be small lures, small fish, but out here in the big ocean, seems big fish like little baits. So we had our little blue squid out for less than 5 minutes and we got a big bite! Within 30 seconds the monster, for that’s what it must have been or maybe a Blue Marlin, ran out our entire line before then snapping it at the reel. Fish gone, line gone, little blue squid gone! Third time this has happened. Squid Game sacrifice with blue, red and green all out of the running!

But the sky is blue and our spirits are high and progress is still reasonable, so the melancholy blues are being kept at bay. We are a jolly crew and still hope to reach Hiva Oa by May 2 or 3.

Polly
April 22