Fisherman in trouble

18 March 2013

Yesterday and last night we had beautiful weather to sail. With a speed of 6 knots we sailed close reach. We set all the sails and then turned the engine off. We sail close to shore and once in a while we see a local fisherman on the horizon. Yesterday we saw a fisherman with the crew waving with a big piece of foam. We suspected he was in trouble so we sailed towards him. Luckily we have our Brazilian sailor Nikolas on board and he could find out what was wrong. The fisherman had trouble with his propeller shaft and he asked us if we could bring him to the harbour. Meanwhile the coastguard was close by and they helped him so we could sail further.
Today there is a bit of rain and unfortunately not a lot of wind. The forecast predicts more, but for now it is still 3 knots, or 1 Bft. 
For some entertainment we organise a theoretical lesson in astronomical navigation. A few of our guest crewmembers know a lot about positioning with a sextant and navigation on stars.
If everything goes well we will pass by the Abrolhos Islands. We hope to spot humpback whales. In wintertime they mate in the waters surrounding this archipelago. It promises to be a versatile day with hopefully some wind later in the day.