The Night of November 30 to December 1, 2023

Loneliness and Routine

The night leading into Friday was once again calm and uneventful, without any major incidents. Squalls that appeared on the radar dissipated each time they got closer. Nature seems to be kind to us.

No other boat was within a 10 to 12-mile radius. Our companions from the past few days had taken a slightly more northerly route and were apparently traveling faster than us. Suddenly, it felt very lonely on the open sea.

Our night watch routine had now settled in, and each of us could enjoy our deserved night’s sleep at the designated times.

We are aware, however, that the situation can change at any moment. Squalls can appear unexpectedly, and suddenly we might find ourselves in a storm. So, never underestimate the weather conditions and always stay vigilant to be prepared for potential challenges.

With that, the night passed, and a new day began.

A Day Full of Surprises

Nicolas did me a big favor yesterday, so I rewarded him with an extra hour of sleep and took the night watch until 7 AM. Later in the day, I felt the time difference catching up with me.

After waking up, I was greeted with a pleasant surprise—Nicolas had struck again and caught a beautiful Wahoo. This seems to be becoming a habit. This is already the third catch in a row. Our freezer is steadily filling up with fresh fish. I should start thinking about new recipes to ensure variety in our meal plan.

In the afternoon, things got suddenly very exciting. A large storm front approached us from behind and the left, as Peter noticed on the radar. With the naked eye, we could see four squalls coming towards us. Each of us had our task to prepare the boat accordingly. First, we all put on our safety vests. Nicolas and Peter took on the most important task of taking down the Wingaker. Then, we secured the rest of the boat. Anna and I closed all hatches, secured everything inside the boat like dishes, and ensured nothing could fly around. Nicolas and Peter brought in all the cushions from the deck. Nicolas already noticed the first raindrops while doing this. Nicolas reeled in the fishing lines, and finally, Peter closed all the tarps to protect the boat and us from the rain.

All we could do now was wait and monitor everything on the radar and with our eyes. When we were finally in the middle of the storm, it turned out to be not so bad. The wind only reached a speed of 22 knots, which was quite mild compared to my first squall experience. Back then, the wind had increased to 30 knots within three minutes, and it rained heavily. Compared to that, this squall was a mini-storm. Nonetheless, it was a good practice for potentially more severe storms in the future.

After the storm passed, Peter and Nicolas set the Wingaker again, and we continued sailing calmly.

In the evening, we rewarded ourselves with a festive meal of breaded Wahoo, hand-cut fries, and sweet potato chips. A true feast that even Anna, who normally only likes fish in the form of fish sticks, enjoyed. There’s nothing better than freshly caught fish.

After dinner and a round of “Phase 10” with Anna, I went to bed quickly to catch up on my sleep. But as soon as I lay down, I heard something was wrong. The engines were started. When I got on deck, I saw Nicolas reeling in the downwind sail and Peter at the helm. Anna was already securing the rest of the boat. Another storm front was approaching directly in front of us. A night-time operation that made us all a bit uneasy. It’s one thing to take in sails during the day, but it’s a completely different thing to do it with 4-meter waves in the dark.

Much like in the afternoon, the squall turned out to be relatively mild. A bit of rain and wind at about 23 knots. It was manageable. But more squalls appeared on the radar, and Peter decided to leave the sail down and motor through the night for safety. We wanted to avoid another night-time operation at all costs.

We hoped for a quieter night.

Culinary Delights Day 12