are we in the tropics yet?

We crossed the tropic of Capricorn on Monday, yay! Ever since our official arrival in the tropics we have been looking for signs of the tropics. We have watched diligently for flying fish and dolphins to no avail. True, we are in bikini weather sometimes but other times and especially during our days and nights of squalls we have also been bundled in our winter clothes. We caught a jack fish just before crossing into the tropics. He was mum about the signs of the tropics as he stabbed Peter in the finger with one of his dorsal spines. That fish must have really wanted to come aboard Marcy. We were barely making any way with light winds and huge seas. We had a fishing line in the water because we were close to some islands. They're secret islands. OK, maybe they're not secret because they are on our paper charts, they're even on our globe but they're not on our electronic charts. Anyway, we had a line in the water thinking there might be fish in the area but we were going so slow we had little hope of getting a fish. As we pulled the line in at sunset to put it away there was our fish on it just waiting to come aboard. What luck! Our entry into the tropics was also celebrated by chafing through our self steering line at 3AM the other morning. No problem, Peter had us up and going again by hanging over the stern the replace the line all before 4AM. Most exciting with our entry into the tropics came our ability to connect easily to our winlink email again. We've been using only sailmail by radio in South America and we can get a good signal to Panama now.

Today we are north of 17S latitude and we are finally enjoying steady winds at 12-15 knots and sunny skies. Day 5 in the tropics. We were visited by a large group of dolphins last night and this morning we saw our first flying fish in a year! It's good to be back!

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Anyone for a swim?

With light winds and slightly warmer weather we have been doing small boat things and getting ready for the next wind that's we expect on Saturday. We are back in the cloudy day routine of towing our water electricity generator. Though with little wind and no sun our batteries are getting a bit low. The water temps are starting to rise and we're no longer wearing sweaters during the day. In fact, just yesterday we were discussing how much warmer the water is and how blue it has become again. Ironic that we would discuss that hours before dark on the very night that we snagged a fishing net on our prop. The timing was quite unfortunate. It is barely warm enough for us to consider a swim at the warmest part of the day. As the fishing net found us just after dark the day had cooled and the idea of a swim was less than appealing. We aren't very excited about swimming around the boat in 11,000 feet of water in the middle of the day. It just doesn't appeal to us to be that low on the food chain in "their" environment. We know people jump in and enjoy the water when it's very hot out but we have NEVER been tempted mid ocean to try, even when we hadn't showered for weeks, our water supply was low and it was 100 degrees F in the cockpit. So, there we were "just after dark" dragging a net which in the 5 knots of wind was really a sea anchor. And it was a very dark night. We're not sure what comes up from the bottom at night but we do know that the words "giant" and "squid" are intimidating when put together. What to do? We quickly decided we were not going to swim. As the night progressed the wind died to nothing and we would really have liked to use a bit of motor to recharge the batteries and keep steerage way with the boat. We slopped around all night towing our net but catching nothing! Finally in the light of the morning we were able to tie a rope to the net and pull it forward toward the bow to get it off. Swim averted! As of this morning we have sailed 950 miles since hauling our anchor, a fine number for the first week of our trip.

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Northbound in the Pacific

We made our escape from Puerto Ingles, but not without drama. We were planning to haul anchor and get under way at the evening slack water. Our friends on Vlakvark, also at anchor waiting to leave, called and called on VHF radio for updates on the port status with the same answer each time - that when the new forecast was published at 8PM we might expect a change in the status of the port. Vlakvark heard another sailboat on the VHF radio and hailed them as they sailed past the lighthouse on their way to sea. When queried as to why it was safe for one sailboat to continue on to sea while two others were forced to wait they said only that the other sailboat had received permission to leave from another port. Of course, peer pressure works all over the world and within a few minutes the port was miraculously opened. We were free to leave as of 4PM. BUT, the timing was as awkward as it could be. We didn't want to wait in case they changed their minds so we hauled anchor and left at maximum ebb tide. When the eight knots of ebb current met the four meter waves coming in from the sea it caused the steepest most confused seas we ever want to face. To further complicate things we had been eating as if we were staying for a few more hours so with full queasy stomachs we bashed five miles out to sea and finally were able to head north with the wind on our beam and the large seas on our quarter. The wind lasted all the way north to Juan Fernandez Island and the seas kept up with the wind as waves tend to do. Our stomachs finally adjusted to the motion about 36 hours into the trip. We left Puerto Ingles with the beginnings of colds and our stuffed heads made the demands of going to sea even greater. Keeping up with sail handling, watches, radio check ins, sleep and eating was all we could accomplish. There were a few minor items requiring immediate attention like a loose lashing on a diesel jerry can and some noises coming from inside the dinghy (not a stowaway, just the gas can) and worst of all was the bottle of red wine that was tossed across the cabin on a particularly boisterous wave. The wine was mopped up, the bumping noises were quieted and we recovered our sea legs and settled in to our routine. Each day brings slightly warmer weather. Our jib had developed a big rip so when we have calmer seas we will drop it and put up our old sail. There was a low pressure system forecast to bring near gale force winds from the north across our path so we are heading due north to get away from that danger and as we get further north we are enjoying the calmer seas that go along with lighter winds. We have just crossed the south equivilent latitude that would take us from California into Mexico if we were on the reciprocal heading in North latitudes so we're considering a quesadilla and guacamole celebration lunch.

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The April Fools

As we sit in Puerto Ingles twiddling our thumbs we feel that we are The April Fools. We've checked our weather carefully and tied up and put away everything on the boat in readiness for some wind and bouncy seas. The express train known as a high is coming through and we're planning to ride that up to the trade winds around 25 south. With several oceans in our wake we feel qualified to make the decision about when to go to sea. In fact, one of the most difficult decisions is going when there is lots of wind because it's better than going with no wind. We know these things. We have been anchored in the shelter of a lighthouse waiting for the wind to come around a bit more west than north so we wouldn't have to sail too close to the wind. As we called the lighthouse this morning, and using our best Spanish told them that we are leaving they said "Have a nice trip" or something like that.. next came the SECOND call. We know better than to answer when they call back.. but what harm could there be in answering? We shouldn't have answered. The port of Ancud is closed and we are officially in their district if not in their port so we are not authorized to leave. Arrgh! Not because of current conditions but because of the forecast for some windy squalls! We're sitting here because maybe a forecast will come true and some windy squalls might come through?! Of course, the Marcy captain would like to leave and the mostly law-abiding crew would like, if not permission, at least not NO. Our departure is further complicated by currents that run at such a rate that we actually saw speed over ground of 14.4 knots for an extended period of time when coming through the channel. We would prefer to leave at the end of the ebb and get a push out to sea rather than getting sucked back in toward Chile. So, we plot, we wait, we do a few last minute projects and we complain about officials who would keep an ocean going vessel from going to sea because of a squally forecast. We've heard if one runs out of fuel the Armada will transfer some free of charge. We're wondering if we're forced to wait here until the wind dies will they meet us a few hundred miles up the coast to refuel? If we leave anyway will they chase us down? Would they shoot at us for leaving in unsafe conditions? And which is worse, trying to leave on April Fools day or on a Friday? We have lots of time to wonder..

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