“34:57N 070:45W”

 

Monday 6th November – Tuesday 7th November

 

A Stowaway and Death on Board

 

We continued to sail yesterday in 10-15 knots from the southwest. We were continuing eastwards but decided to make use of the winds before they turned to north west over night and head south east. The 2 other boats quite close to us – about 3 miles away are doing the same thing. This involved lots of discussion on the vhf radio. One of the boats, Rhapsody in Blue 2” had lost its genoa in a squall and is having to use there storm jib.

 

During the afternoon a little bird joined us. He looked a bit like a sparrow but with a stripy head.  He wandered all over the boat presumably looking for food. We tried him with bread, crushed nuts and fruit but he wasn’t interested. We think from the shape of his beak he may have liked insects, which we didn’t have.  By early evening he was looking a bit unwell and went and hid under a cushion. We put him in a foil container with kitchen roll, and unforunately he had died by midnight. He was buried at sea and cast to the waves to the sound of Frank’s (cabin boy) rendition of something by Robbie Burns. (Frank is Scottish!)

 

We continued sailing until about 12.30 when the wind was too light and since then we have been motoring.  Lots of sunshine, very blue sea and no ominous clouds today.  The wind should strengthen this evening as we continue our way south east...