Beaufort to Bermuda | Day 4
Daybreak during my watch this morning
The last 24 hours have been very pleasant. Our speeds were slow through the lighter winds of the night, but as a weather front approaches, they have been consistently building. The winds are on our beam, pushing the boat effortlessly through gentle four-foot rolling swells. We are now reaching at an average of 6+ knots, and as the winds are expected to build through the rest of the day, our speeds should remain consistent for the remainder of our journey — enabling us to arrive in Bermuda sometime around lunch tomorrow.
The closer we get to land, the more evidence we see of life beyond this vast blue ocean. Yesterday we spotted several cargo ships, and last night, while on watch, I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard radio traffic for the first time in days. This morning, we had a good chuckle as we found ourselves mesmerized by the first bird we'd seen in days. To be fair, he was a very handsome bird. After consulting the internet, we determined he was a White-tailed Tropicbird — a striking seabird known for its white plumage, black wing patches, and long white tail streamers. He forages alone over open water, catching flying fish, squid, and crabs by plunge-diving from heights of 50 to 65 feet. For a moment, we thought he was looking to hitch a ride, but after circling us for several minutes, he disappeared.
White-tailed Tropicbird (not our picture)
Living aboard a boat, you become highly attuned to her — the unique ways she moves and the noises she makes. So when you hear something uncharacteristic, alarm bells go off, and you begin searching for the source. Last night, while on watch, I heard a thud. In the dark and underway, it isn't always easy to identify where a noise is coming from, but I knew I needed to pay attention. I sat alert, listening, when I heard a flutter. Then another. And another. Wondering if something had come loose, I grabbed a flashlight and directed it toward the noise — and saw movement and a pair of eyes. A flying fish had landed on deck near our boat hooks and was fluttering and sputtering about. Thankfully, he was within reach without my having to leave the cockpit. I do not, however, like the feel of fish, so I grabbed tongs from below, gently picked him up by one of his wings, and threw him back overboard where he belonged.
We are looking forward to our arrival tomorrow and spending a few days catching up on rest and exploring Bermuda before heading out on the next leg of the passage to the Azores sometime next week (hopefully).
All is well.
…that is, until you hear a bunch of water sloshing around INSIDE your boat and go to investigate and find that your forward toilet overflowed with seawater and was sloshing all around the bathroom floor. True story. What was that I said about noticing uncharacteristic noises?
Day Four Stats
Nautical Miles Sailed In The Last 24 Hours 126 miles
Average Boat Speed 5.2 kts
Max Boat Speed 7.5 kts
GPS Coordinates as of 5 pm 33 00.257N 66 31.650W
Miles to go 114