3:00 AM Watch Log. We have less than 500 nm to go.
The closer we get, the more interesting it gets. Yesterday we enjoyed a dolphin pod escort at dawn and we saw whale spouts in the distance at dusk. We had two lines in the water for much of the day, but no fish. Today I will change hats.
The closer we get, the slower it gets. Our Day 10 distance totaled 152 nautical miles, our lowest daily total to date. Throughout the day we often saw less than 2 knots of wind. We sailed when we could, and motored when we could not. We are only a few good sailing days away from the Azores, but we are not get getting good sailing days.
Quite the conundrum for the Captain. Do we burn fuel, get closer and search for more favorable winds? Or do we conserve fuel and wait for favorable winds? So far - we have opted for the former. Soon we may have no choice but to drift and wait it out.
I don't think it is too soon to consider another question facing sailing crews in similar circumstance. Cannibalism. You know... When to start? Who's first? That sort of thing. I've always felt it was a mistake to wait until everyone is so skinny that they offer very little nutritional value.
Discuss among yourselves.
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Morpheus was designed by Carl Schumacher, built by Davie Norris Boatbuilders in New Zealand and launched in 2002. She spent her first 18 months cruising the South Pacific before reaching her home port of San Francisco. Since that time, Morpheus has been raced and cruised extensively. This blog will document her ongoing adventures.
Gosh! You guys look so close on spot. Hope you get some wind and have smooth sailing! Thanks for the updates. Its great to hear what you guys are up to (or not up to).
ReplyDeleteEmily