day 123; :
Jamie: today we realised we are not making time as well as we thought. The race is on, we shook out the reef now we are running full main sail and the big jib. Making good time now but dreading the forecasted lack of wind coming up in the next couple of days. Passed right next to an island called late today which is quite foreboding.. In the morning first thing the fishing rod went whizzzzz three different times. Each time the fish escaped unscathed. Unbelievable. We then saw a much bigger fish in the form of a marine mammal, a whale breaching 100m from the boat and then two more 5 minutes later! Tonga is seething with humpbacks. We also saw an exploding island from a distance. Megan and I pondered why marine animals are so dense. Does the pressure underwater squeeeze them together? In the evening the fishing rod went off again and I was steering. I was ready this time. This one wasn’t getting away. I grabbed the rod and tightened down the drag. We fought. Cabin boy and beast. It got closer, we readied the gaff. We could see it’s long silver body dragging through the water 30m away but couldn’t quite identify it. Then, pop, the hook came out and we were all of a sudden fishless. Fish come and go. Ride it out. WOD: entrails. Entrails - a description of innards,intestines. To be entrails they have to be strewn out of the body U.I.a.s: where I live I’m surrounded by beautiful forest. Within this forest is a network of tracks entrails.
Miriam: I woke this morning to the whizzz of the line, emerging to a completely cloud free sky and a surprisingly warm temperature for just past 7. My first response was mild dread followed by an immediate internal pep talk that I had indeed had enough sleep and was not going to roast on midday watch. Whales and volcanos and abundant sea birds helped me anchor into a good mood, as did napping and reading about gay penguins in the fantastic anthology Queer Ecologies that I’m currently reading. And then watch was lovely, shady much earlier than expected due to our change of direction, approaching the island while everyone else napped and getting to behold it from afar and wonder about it’s lush jungled slopes and symmetrical volcanic profile; a very handsome island. I also really enjoyed watching the erupting volcano with it’s thick plume of white smoke building against the horizon. Jamie made a delicious spaghetti dinner and now I’m going to get as much sleep as possible before my midnight watch. Oh! Speaking of, last night the moon was behind us which lit the occasional flying fish to appear as shooting stars flying low over the water. I do love night watch, despite the sleep deficit. Good night!
Naomi here, I got the moonrise on my watch last night, it was green as it rose. I wish it was already out tonight as we are set to pass some reported shoals shortly, it does seem like Tonga is busy creating all sorts of new islands and obstructions all the time. With any luck we won’t run into any. We are a little worried about not arriving in Fiji in time for everyone’s flights in and out of the country so we have raised every stitch of sail and with more wind than I expected we are now flying along, hand steering to try maintain a good course, trying to make up some miles. There is very little swell and bluebird is loving it, slicing through the water, from down below it sounds a lot like slushy spring snow actually. A shame we couldn’t stop off in Tonga but this way we have more time to explore Fiji I suppose ….
Kia ora, Megan here! This morning when Naomi called land ho, and we looked up the little island’s name on navionics, I joked that it was a bad omen: Late. Its silhouette solidified as it advanced. Late. It rose out of the sea, emerging from the plumes of smoke behind it. Late late LATE. I know it’s probably a beautiful Tongan word, but to me it was a whispered warning in the morning, and by the afternoon, a scolding. I checked navionics compulsively, frowning as I continually measured progress that fell short. How could this have happened to us! Luckily my parents came to the rescue and shuffled my flight to Sunday. I feel much more at ease now, and of course the wind has now picked up.
Tongan oceans boil with life: humpback spouts and volcanic clouds. Late itself is apparently a beautiful motu that sustains many precious bird species - flocks of which we saw throughout the day. Unfortunately none came so close as to let us witness their nostrils, but we do believe there are several types of shearwater about. The bird book describes some shearwater as having an “aukish jizz,” which is how birders say “this bird has kind of a puffin vibe.” I believe “aukish” describes the beak shape. Anyway. Really lovely day. I’m looking forward to as much whale watching and bird beholding as I can get in before we arrive in Fiji. Today was the day if my original flight home, and now it feels unbelievable that I might leave. That time might pass. Still. A few more timeless days. Pō mārie.
Bluebird out!