Moroccan Nights
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Tue 27 Oct 2009 12:12
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What a great night! After the cal to get the
spinaker up we decided to head for the african coast tp try and pick up some
coastal winds which we did. It built steadily all night to 8 -10knots and
under cruising chute only we were doing 7.5 knots deep down the wind. about
2200 we were completely shrouded in heavy thick damp fog and it remained that
way until 0400 and returned again at 1030. About 0630 Angus and Craig made an
excellent call to drop the spinaker as the wind had been steadily veering and by
getting up genny and main we could lay our destination. So I got up to help them
wrestle the spinnaker down and after a short while the wind had strengthened
further and we moved to jib and main and are on a 200 mile beat to the Canaries
but we are currently on Starboard heading back into the African coast and expect
to pick up a shift later to head for a small anchorage at a small island called
Graciosa ETA Thursday morning. All this while didging close quarter fishing
boats blanketed in fog and entertainment in stereo all night. On the ipod we had
the Eagles all night and on the VHF we had monkeys, Cats, Dogs ,Sheep and Pigs
and a full blown inter racial slanging matckh on channel 16 with a scene from a
porno movie broadcast on channel 16 for good measure - tut tut tut. On the
early watch while I was sleeping, Angus had a tight call - about 20
odd miles off the coast we were bowling
along when he spotted a small open boat with two guys in it waving a red flag
about half a mile off. Angus unsure what call to make carried on past not
knowing whether it was people genuinely in need of help or whether they
were pirates, emigrants looking for a "lift" to the Canaries or otherwise
up to mischief, or just selling fish. What would you do what should Angus have
done?
I'll let you know what happened tomorrow.
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