We left Tenerife on Wednesday evening after having suggested a fishing competition with our fellow crewmembers as to who could catch the largest fish. Being our suggestion, we thought we’d better get cracking! We decided, however, that the hours of darkness were probably not the best of times to be reeling in fish so waited till daybreak. There was no wind so day one was spent motoring steadily south westwards towards our first waypoint. We have enlisted the help of a weather router who helps us decide on the most economical and fastest route so our waypoints have been meticulously planned out by him after studying the weather and the yacht’s average speed. We have enough fuel for roughly two thirds of the journey (as well as generator for five hours per day) which means we have a little leeway if the wind is non-existent.
Day two (Thursday) dawned with a nice breeze coming from port aft so up went the sails and we had a great day’s sailing with main up and headsail poled out on a goose wing. We were making on average 7 knots in 10 knots apparent wind speed so not too bad! This was obviously prime fishing speed because no sooner had the reels gone out at sunrise, we managed to get two bites on two of the three fishing rods. In they came but to no avail, both got away. It gave us good hopes though for the rest of the day. Lunch was approaching and the crew were beginning to feel peckish when hey presto, another bite! And this time, it didn’t get away. Gordon reeled it in, Nick was standing by with the net, and Rob with the knife and baseball bat whilst Anna and I were concentrating on staying on course. The glints of blue under the surface as it came closer revealed a large dolphin fish (mahi mahi), fantastic! Lunch followed with some as sashimi (a little bit on the chewy side) and then some more lightly seared with a nicoise salad. Dinner that night was mahi mahi steaks cooked to perfection on the bbq (the wind had died down a bit by this point!). The remaining mahi mahi made a good base for a fish pie which went nicely into the freezer for another day.
Saturday started off fairly calm but the wind soon picked up again and the sails came back out but it wasn’t quite enough so the engine was switched back on and we motorsailed for much of the day making a steady 8.5 knots. Our course was changed slightly by our weather router who suggested we make our way slightly further south to ensure we caught the stronger trade winds. Today was also the first attempt at bread making on this particular passage. It was all going perfectly until the sound of the reel going out made everyone jump to attention on deck. Another dolphin fish! Once the catching and filleting had been done, the bread had been slightly forgotten about. Nevertheless fresh bread rolls can rarely be beaten (but they will be even better next time!). Dinner time was another feast of mahi mahi on the bbq, again cooked to perfection by the Captain (otherwise known as resident bbq chef). Still three more fillets, anyone want any?!
Clare