You should have seen the one that got away! So far we have had three hits but no landings. One fish left part of it's jaw and the last was actually hooked, Kathryn saw it and reported that it was white/silver and approx 2 feet long. Unfortunately it bit through the hook and got away. Our small lure which was so successful for Clark on the ARC is now looking a bit shabby having lost a few of its squid tentacles and one of the two hooks. We will keep using the lure as long as we can, we are afraid of what the other, larger lure would attract.
The new generator is having a few teething problems, that is about the kindest way of reporting its performance to date. The three bolts holding the drive pulley to the flywheel backed off and the extended bolts caused the water pump belt to come off its sheave. There was no damage but working on the unit is difficult because of the tight installation. We have been using the second alternator on the propulsion engine to recharge our batteries, this unit has been working great since having a new mount fabricated in St Lucia. The 6v golf cart batteries have been working great also. Our boat has been described as a "power hungry" vessel because of all the electrical devices, and we were able to go 18 hours between charging.
We have transited the coast of Venezuela and now are offshore from Columbia. We have turned the corner and are heading straight for Panama. The distance to Porvenir is 439 miles and we will most likely arrive Wednesday morning. The winds are somewhat lighter and have veered back to the NE so we are pretty much heading dead downwind. We anticipate doing a fair amount of motorsailing in order to maintain a good speed. The NE wind has brought lower humidity and pleasant temperatures but the sky is hazy.
The crew is now more concerned with boredom than sea sickness. They have been watching videos on their iPads and listening to music, also dancing in the cockpit last evening. Now that the teacher has returned from sick leave schoolwork is beginning in earnest.
BRIZO Crew