The Night of November 28-29, 2023

Calms and Pursuers

Last night was once again quiet and uneventful. The wind only allowed us to make moderate progress, with speeds between 4.5 and 5.5 knots. It felt almost like a calm, but not quite calm enough to take down the Wingaker.

Interestingly, the boat that had been accompanying us on a parallel course for days suddenly caught up with us. I have to admit, I didn’t like it at all.

Racing Mode vs. Adventure Lust: An Unexpected Turn

During the night, I noticed that the boat that had been following us like a shadow for days suddenly pulled ahead. By morning, they were more than 5 miles ahead of us.

This puzzled me since the weather conditions didn’t allow for more speed. The question was, did our neighboring boat turn on their engine or choose different sails? Many questions arose. Despite the temptation to start our engine and catch up, we knew that wasn’t an option. We try to use the engine as rarely as possible, except when we need to recharge our energy reserves.

Still, it didn’t sit well with me to give up our position and see the other boat pull ahead. What had they done differently? 

Peter reminded me that we weren’t racing and that our goal was not to reach the destination as quickly as possible or to beat other boats. He was right. We want to experience the journey, the adventure—nothing more, nothing less.

Peter checked our sails and settings, but everything seemed optimal. So, we continued on our slightly more southerly course, hoping for more wind.

Aside from this excitement, the rest of the day was quieter. Each of us had our own activities. Anna somehow strained her back and had to rest. I used the time to bake bread—a spelt bread with pumpkin and sunflower seeds as sourdough.

Then came the surprise of the day: a large Mahi Mahi bit. We quickly took down the Wingaker to slow down—an expert tip for big fish. Landing large fish is always a challenge. But Nicolas did everything right, and we were rewarded with a beautiful fish for dinner. The rest of the fish was carefully filleted, portioned, and frozen. This work is really satisfying and a welcome change. We will enjoy part of it as sushi and sashimi tomorrow.

The joy wasn’t just ours but also Flash’s. Our onboard cat had been wondering when the next treats from the sea would come. Finally, he didn’t have to wait any longer.

Waste Separation Onboard

On a long passage across the Atlantic, waste separation is especially important. No one wants to haul a lot of trash across the ocean, and we certainly don’t want it to start smelling. So, we are very careful to produce as little waste as possible and to separate our trash meticulously.

Even before setting sail, we removed as much packaging as possible and left it on land. For example, we avoid cardboard for a simple reason: we don’t want unwanted guests like cockroaches on board. These little creatures love to hide their eggs in the crevices of cardboard, whether in the outer packaging, paper labels on cans, or egg cartons. 

Vegetable and food scraps are disposed of environmentally friendly in the sea, where they re-enter the natural cycle.

Plastic, which normally goes in the yellow bin, is collected in a particularly space-saving manner: in old 5-liter water bottles. These are filled to the brim. We stuff and press until nothing more fits. This has two advantages: it saves a lot of space and prevents odors. Using this method, we’ve filled only two such bottles after 10 days. At home, we would have used many yellow bags.

Larger plastic waste is thoroughly rinsed and collected separately, as are metal cans.

Paper waste is carefully broken down and stored separately. 

Glass, on the other hand, we keep to use later for canning or storing food.

Waste separation on board is not only environmentally friendly but also a necessity to use our limited space efficiently and to minimize environmental impact. It’s really important to us. 

Culinary Delights Day 10

• Lunch: Toasts with cheese, salami, ham, spelt bread with cream cheese and fresh sprouts
• Dinner: Mahi Mahi with sweet potato mash and mousse au chocolate