A Doldrums Dip

 David and I returning from a Swim

07/29/02

    It looks like we may have hit the doldrums already!  We started off from Cape Verde with a nice 10-12 knot beam reach, and went like that through the day.  In the evening, the wind started  to die, and for my 2000-2200 watch, had less than 10 knots the whole time.  My next watch (0200-0400) was the same, with the wind shifting to south at the end, so we were close-hauled at that point.  Shortly after my watch ended I heard the engine starting from my slumber.  It is now 0800 and the sea is almost like glass.

    It seems like we are in the doldrums, alright.  Towards the end of my 0800-1100 watch, I noticed a faint outline of an island off to port.  I was curious about this, as I thought we had left the Cape Verdes behind, but on consulting Eric and the chart, I learned that the small volcanic island of Fogo is the southernmost island, and that it was still within view.  This is the island that Eric had trouble with on his last visit to Cape Verde.  They got caught in the lee of this island, which is nothing but a huge volcano, with no wind and a current pushing them towards the island.  They couldn’t start the diesel engine, and couldn’t drop the anchor because the water depth was 1000 feet right up to the rocks.  They ended up dropping the rigid dinghy over the side with the seagull attached (the tiny antique outboard) and used this to push the boat to safety.

    After lunch today, we decided we weren’t going to get any more wind, so we dropped the main and set up the awning, to provide some shade for the cockpit and cool the boat down some.  In the afternoon, we stopped the boat and had a “doldrums dip”.  We dropped the swim ladder and all jumped in and had a bath in the ocean.  You don’t realize the brilliance of the blue color of the water until you jump in and see it from eye level.  We took the opportunity to also lather up with dishwashing liquid and clean ourselves off real good.  Eric also put on his dive mask and checked out the hull where the whale had hit.  He said there was a little bottom paint scraped off, but that was all.  It’s interesting to swim in water that is 3 miles deep.

    We will be crossing the equator on the way to Fernando de Noronha, and in preparation for the special “pollywog” ceremony to celebrate David and my first equator crossing, Eric is saving green beer cans to use with his costume.  I will be interested in seeing what he has planned.