Log02 Offshore Sailing

From July 19 to July 21 we had pretty light SW winds that pushed us slowly north. When crossing Block Canyon, we had to dodge some floats that we suspect were related to marine research. Either way, they could have caused a mess for us.

Eric tried trolling for Mahi Mahi while out over the many deep canyons offshore, but he must not have the knack. The only catch was a poor Great Shearwater (a bird), which we gently pulled in and released in good health. Not sure he appreciated it. Our fishing line had wrapped around his wing. He did not come close to the hook.

On July 21 about 12:45 pm, we encountered fog which lasted until July 22 at 1:30 am.

On the radio, we heard the calls from a dive boat that had lost a diver not too far from us. We were not close enough to offer assistance and unfortunately, the diver was never found.

We passed over Nantucket Shoals in the middle of the night and in dense fog. We encountered a strong southerly current which slowed our progress significantly, but the spinnaker kept us moving. After pushing hard to make it through "Fishing Rip" with strong currents, we found ourselves in the middle of a fleet of fishing boats that were trawling. They had the right-of-way, but we had trouble figuring out which way they were going to go.

Apparently, they were working as a group working a coordinated grid, which left little room for us to pass. With heavy fog, darkness, and strong winds, we came uncomfortably close to a few. While I was up on the bow, David found a hole in the ranks and shot for it.

After crossing the shipping lanes, we finally relaxed and just kept pushing our way past
Cape Cod. Seemed to take for ever against the currents, but we actually made good progress.