Day 2 – Amazon 2015
With Imogen’s call that we are ready to go Emily started lifting the anchor and discovered that it was jammed with loads of yucky plastic bags. This was not surprising given the amount of rubbish we logged on the debris tracker passing by us whilst in port. Although the water was so filthy that we could not have showers nor even make water with our desalination equipment, we had watched local kids having fun jumping off the piers into the water and fishermen casting nets over the last few days.
As soon as the Seadragon started moving we could feel the wind in our hair. We waived Recife goodbye watching the water change colour from muddy green, to royal blue to dark blue. We were now on open sea.
Our goal for the day was to travel beyond 12 nm to avoid local fishermen. The first watch, Sarah, Rachel, Lisa and Stella, was the 4 to 6 pm dog watch. Dog watches are two 2 hour back-to-back watches that serve to stagger the 24-hour watch schedule. We sailed into darkness with the Recife skyline and the sunset behind us.
Holly had to take over the preparation of the dinner since Ana and Shannon, who were on mother watch, were feeling the debilitating experience of seasickness. Despite the short notice Holly cooked a fantastic tortillas with vegetable chilli. Everyone stuffed their faces.
The first 4 hour watch, Tania, Barbara and Erika took over from Katarina and Diana. The wind was strong and a water bird took advantage of our speed and sat next to Erika on the helm for hours keeping her company. During this watch we changed course 90 degrees keeping the sail half-mast. During logging Tania discovered a little crab and fish in the water filter and thought “it is not surprising our water tasted so strange”. Imogen said to “keep our eyes on the two tankers” which were following us.
Totally exhausted the second 4 hour watch, Lisa, Sarah, Rachel and Stella helmed the boat from midnight to 4 am. Rachel called out to the team to see the golden orange moon rising from the sea and the fire red sunset. “It was the perfect first night at the sea sunset” Stella said. Using the StarWalk app to see Venus underneath the crescent moon and identify other constellations the team watched out for boats and saw many shooting stars.
The next watch was the luckiest one so far – it saw a pod of dolphins jumping around the boat and the sunrise.
Waking up for the next watch from 8 to midday Tania stepped down from her tiny top bunk on poor Shannon’s boob causing Erika to giggle – a great way to start the day! We finally raised to full sail cruising at about 10 knots, the sun glowing, with very few clouds in the sky. It is day 2 and we are in the swing of things!
- The crew
