Last night I am sure that as it got dark you could see flames coming off our stern, we were going 10 knots! 10 KNOTS! I’ll say it again, 10 KNOTS! We all went up to have a look at the speed on the GPS, it said 10 KNOTS! In fact we woke up our shipmates to tell them how fast we were going. Some of them didn’t believe us!
Okay, we were motor-sailing, but we had been going about 7, and then BANG! 10 KNOTS!
So this morning we set all sails and turned the engine off and guess what? 8 KNOTS! UNDER SAIL! And seas not too big.
The truth is we have hit a current below Madagascar called the South Equatorial Current. But we are still going fast—AND making great time. We are approximately 1600 nm away from Cape Town. If we keep this up, we might be in earlier than we thought. Or least on time.
Other news is:
Greg has been taking bearings of the sun morning and night in order to check the deviation on our compass. The riggers are continuing to overhaul the shrouds, Logan’s chest is finished and now sits proudly on the starboard side of the quarterdeck between two life rafts. And we have now nicknamed Amanda “Picasso,” as she is the painting queen!
Joe is making quiche for lunch, and with a little added Reunion touch of Boucan. Boucan (salty chunky bacon) is what the desperadoes who lived on the coasts of Cuba, Jamaica and Tortuga made from smoking pig meat and selling it to passing ships (while not busy robbing ships and committing crimes) in the 1500–1600s, thus giving rise to the name Boucanier or Buccaneer—that’s our history lesson for the day. And, of course, yummy bread.
All is well on the Picton Castle today.