Location: 6° 26.0 N, 45° 54.0 W
Thursday 12:00, 06.15.2006

The Schooner Maggie B’s noon position on 15 June was 6° 26 N 45° 54 W. At noon we were making 4.2 knots on a course of 075 with a wind of 6-8 knots from 150 degrees. We seem to have lost our unfavorable current.

Sailors will look for a while at the next-to-last sentence. First, doing 4.2 knots in a 6-8 knot wind, close hauled with a 35 ton schooner is amazing. But, the sailor says, “you aren’t close hauled, the wind is from 75 degrees off your starboard!” But, think of an ice boat — they go so fast that the relative wind quickly comes forward. Certainly, the Maggie B is no ice boat, but she is so fast that the _relative_ wind cranks forward. No 90 degree tacks here — more like 150, which makes it tough to get upwind.

Now, as I write at 1400, we are motoring at 8 knots towards our next turn point just on the north side of the ITCZ. The wind has fallen off to 3-4 knots. So, as Captain, I have to start worrying about how far can we motor and when we might have to turn for some earlier Brazilian port if we don’t get any wind. We left Barbados with about 350 gallons of diesel. In the last seven days, we have run the generator for 39 hours which is 20 gallons and the engine for seven which is 14 gallons, so we should have about 315 gallons left or somewhat over 1000 miles motoring. We also have an emergency 10 gallons in the propane locker.

It was hard to start the engine because it has been such lovely sailing, even though slow. We had the second half of the Wahoo for lunch on deck under the awning — fillets marinated in ginger and lime juice, done quickly in a hot frying pan. The sea is sparkling all around with distant rain clouds showing rainbows. There is a gentle NE swell giving the Maggie B a light calm motion.

Our trip log is now at 1028 NM — not all in a straight line as we are no &^%$# motorboat. Belem on the Amazon is 220 degrees at 500 NM, Natal is 976. Africa — Sierra Leone — is just under 2000 NM to the East.

I mention Africa above because one of today’s surprises was a big butterfly around us for a while. Since we are downwind from Africa, it must have ridden a tropical wave across. 2000 miles! This morning at first light, Mounira saw a two meter Blue Marlin quite close aboard.

We generally have “air cover” of a group of Common Shearwaters. Today they displayed unusual behavior by landing quite close to the boat — three of four meters away and then immediately ducking their head underwater to look for goodies. We must have an interesting following under the boat by now.

Last night Jorge the Autopilot was acting out a bit and we were handsteering a lot. The mostly-full moon was in perfect position to lock in the shrouds and sail right on until morning.

All is well.