Tuesday, March 27, 2012

3/27/12

Noon Position: 43 25' S, 57 11' E, SOG 5.8, COG 100, Day's Run 90nm.
Becalmed for most of the night into this morning just after breakfast.
I also saw what was either a shark or a very sneaky shearwater (I'm
pretty sure it was a shark, but it didn't come back) swim by the rudder
while I was becalmed before breakfast. The better part of the can of
corned beef hash that was supposed to be my breakfast ended up in the
bellies of a small flock of shearwaters, a happening that my mother (and
my cholesterol) are probably rapturous about, but my stomach was not. I
discovered this morning that while shearwaters are very interested in
onion peels, they have some sense of taste, since they all sheared off
after an exploratory peck. Corned beef, however, was received very
favorably. I ended up with about 8 shearwaters swimming around the
boat, cheeping and burching, waging a furious war over all the tidbits I
could offer. Backpedalling, diving, body-checking each other, all while
keeping an inquisitive eye on me, waiting for the next chunk. By the
time I'd shot 7 minutes of video and taken about 40 photos I realized
that if I kept it up I'd soon be foodless myself, so I went below to
actually cook my breakfast - cold corned beef hash dipped in salt water
shearwater-style didn't appeal. The shearwaters kept resolutely
paddling after me, hoping for another burst of food from above, until
the wind crept back up out of the northeast and I could unroll the jib
and escape from their rapacious appetites.

1 comment:

  1. Dear friends and readers: I just wanted to let you know that Eric loves hearing your comments. Although he is not able to access them directly, I pass them along to him every week when we communicate. So please keep them coming. Thank you for all your love and support!

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