Position: 21°06.8’S 081°40.0’W | Course: 280° | Speed: 6.3kn
Another beautiful day of sailing out on the open ocean. The sea was a deep, clear blue — calm in the swells, but ever shifting in mood. All around us, masked boobies soared effortlessly, scanning the waves with quiet precision. They seemed to enjoy our company, circling the Tecla like slow-moving sentinels on the wind. One was not as elegant as the others and was caught on camera by Lisa, which turned out to be the picture of the day!
Between the clouds, we took time for a short chart navigation lesson. We talked through different ways of plotting a position on the paper chart: using GPS coordinates, taking compass bearings to visible objects, and using radar range rings. It’s a fine moment when modern tools — like our digital chart plotter and radar — meet traditional methods. The ship’s magnetic compass still plays a vital role on board, especially for relative bearings and quick checks during sail changes or passing squalls.
The weather has been all over the place. Light drizzle one minute, force 4 from the south east the other. In between: falpping. Hardly any wind, just a rolling sea and sails swooshinh from one side to the other… But the skies open up at night, revealing a tapestry of stars. The moon — just a sliver now — barely rises before the sun and is often obscured by clouds rolling by.
Tomorrow we’ll gybe and begin making our way north again. We’ve been sailing mostly west, but a change in course should take us away from the centre of the high pressure area and closer to the trade winds — steadier breeze awaits.
And yes, we caught fish again! A good-sized tuna made it aboard, but the catch of the day — what looked like a 1.5-meter wahoo or king mackerel — fought so hard it broke free just as we tried to land it. A brief battle, lost to the sea.
All is well on board,
– Jet



