02’35.3N 029’07.1W course 204′ speed 5,5kn
Boobies and petrels all around! First during the day we had 5 boobies hanging around, using our disturbance in the water to find their favorite snack, flying fish. We had two sorts mixed together, red footed boobies and masked boobies. The masked boobies look like burglars, a white suite on, black tips of their wings and a black bandana over their eyes. One of the red footed boobies was a juvenile that looked like he had warm feet. It had its feet outstretched all the time (therefore easily identified as a red footed booby) and was chasing the other boobies like it was still learning to hunt.

And tonight we have a hitchhiker on our port side light. We are not sure yet what it really is, but as we had some sooty terns around, and its shape looks like it, it may be it. More likely to be attracted to the light are the petrels, so it may also be one of the bigger petrels that has decided to come and join us for a few hours. It doesn’t do much, just sit there, even when we walk by. It seems to listen in on our watch hand over, and not be bothered with 5 people passing by it within 50 cm.. Tiered..? or just unknown that it may be in danger with human beings. The last is a nice thought.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booby
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sooty_tern
During the day the wind decreased gradually, making us think of switching the mainsail over to the new one.. but then after lunch it picked up again. So we postponed the switch to new canvas for 24 hours, so we know for sure it will not need to be reeved within the first day! We did un-reef the mainsail and the pressure it gave through the waves was just what we needed. By now the waves have dissipated somewhat and we are on a nice close reach heading South West. Hopefully during the next few days we will get a more easterly breeze making it possible to come just a few more degrees to port, staying well clear of the Brazilian coastline. Not that we dont like Brazil, last year, we had an amazing stay in Angra dos Reis. But this year we are just a little shorter on time and we need to keep going South as much as possible!
Dinner was vegetarian burgers and buns, as much as you can eat. That gave a big thrill of excitement downstairs! But the most eaten were 4 and we still have burgers left! The atmosphere was really nice, sauces, pickles, jalapenos and buns flying over the table and happy chatter all around. We all relish that there is a little less movement on the ship and we have our slightly less shaking and dancing home back. The one we all got so used to over the last 2,5 weeks.
All is well, Jet
You can follow us by YB: https://my.yb.tl/Tecla
Luiza Joana’s aunt
In Brazil, the hitchhiker is called thirty reis-das rocas
https://www.wikiaves.com.br/wiki/trinta-reis-das-rocas
It nests in Atoll das Rocas, in Fernando de Noronha and in Pernambuco and on Trindade Island in Espírito Santo !
Joana’s Aunt
Masked boobies no Brasil:
FIRST RECORD OF A BREEDING COLONY OF MASKED WATERS (SULA DACTYLATRA LESSON, 1831; SULIDAE) ON THE MAIN ISLAND OF THE FERNANDO DE NORONHA ARCHIPELAGO (PERNAMBUCO, BRAZIL) They have colonies in Fernando de Noronha and Abrolhos das Rocas which are in front on the right from Tecla!
https://www.scielo.br/j/paz/a/QBKj8hBWhk3f8MRGbmRw7Mj/?lang=en