Electric Glowing Dolphins

Lanzarote – will they have enough time to visit this island?

Dolphins in the bioluminescence

As we continue on the second leg of our journey, the question that seems to be on everybody’s mind is whether or not we will make it to Lanzarote in time to enjoy an evening of new culture, warm weather, good food a few drinks and lots of laughter, on dry land… Having made only 151 miles today, and the wind conditions working against us, both in direction and in speed. Quietly we are all hoping that the weatherman has something up his sleeve for us, or it looks like we will have head straight on to the planned destination of Los Palmas. Having said that the weather is teasing us with warm winds and some beautiful sunny days, which make for photo-moment sunsets and sunrises.

Nights…it is almost impossible to be disheartened when you see a night like tonight. I have never seen a sky so clear and stars so bright. I lost count of the shooting stars after about 20 or so, and the water mimics the sky with its electric blue bioluminescence flickers running around the boat as we create movement in the water. A sight only beaten when we saw a school of dolphins being trailed by this electric blue, magic like occurrence, an electric glow following each dolphin and creating a vibrant trail as they danced around the boat, was just mesmerising. To top it off we saw a couple of exploding meteorites which again I had never seen, it was like a shooting star, only it was bigger brighter, faster and created an orange hue, before exploding and flashing bright enough to light up the sky. A firework from space to earth.

Dolphins glowing in the bio-luminescence

Life below deck is still full of laughter and Project Rosa Lee is firmly underway. For those of you who don’t know, Project Rosa Lee is my hardest challenge yet.  After accidentally buying a single rose in Cascais I have been tasked to keep her alive until we reach the Canaries, and let’s just say, it’s going to be close. We have finally started to learn each other’s hot brew preferences which is always a good thing until someone throws you a curveball and you’ve already made their Whoopie Goldberg. The 9-11-year-old quiz is a particularly good morale boost and time killer at the moment, it is also hilariously funny. Lastly, we have begun to make a dent in our stockpile of cuppa soup which has made opening the cupboard door a lot less dangerous and less of a game of dodgeball.

Young Tom

Skipper’s Note:

Date : 12^TH  November 2018

Time : 12:00 UT

Position : 31.13 N 012.20 W

Destination : Rubicon, Lanzarote

ETA : 13th November 2018

DTF : Approx.  170 NM

COG :210

SOG : 6.5 kts

Fuel : 3 full, 1 in use

Water : 2 full, 1 in use, 1 empty

Gas : 4 full, 1 in use

All is well on board the good ship CH3 and the crew are happy, but it has been another frustrating 24hr period on CH3. The forecasted winds have not materialised and we have been putting sails up and down, more times than the crew would have liked. We are still motor sailing, but hoping against all hope, that we will be sailing again soon. Although it is now warmer, we have had rain showers and cloudy skies. Our plan is to still stop in Lanzarote, but we will see what time tomorrow we get there and make a decision then.

More blogs about this Atlantic Adventure can be read here: Portsmouth to Gran Canaria

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Posted by: First Class Sailing