Greg awakes me just after 5AM. There are dolphins outside. I go topside and just catch a dorsal fin as they leave us. So close.
I go to bed for the next 45 min. I get up and start making coffee when Greg yells he got a bite on the fishing line. He hauls in a beautiful 3 foot, blue and green dolphin fish (also called mahi mahi or dorado). We tie it to the back of the boat after a few pictures.
I make coffee and have some cereal. Yves checks the ham radio as the girls from Teepee wanted to check in with him (they were 160 nm from Bermuda headed to New Port and are we're worried about hurricanes Debbie in the Gulf). He can't get ahold of them bit listens to radio captain. Weather for us is no wind next two days then a cold front and 18-20 knot sour west winds - perfect.
Yves fillets the fish on the sugar scoop and I get to debone in the cockpit. We have enough fillets for two meals. We have some of it raw and it is delicious We clean up and then clean the back of the boat. Yves has found that one of the exhaust hoses was logged with sea water and that is the likely culprit for the flooding on the starboard stern section. We dry the area after removing the contents and drying them as well.
It is hot and sunny - 28 and no clouds. We see a bunch of seagulls (shearwaters i am now corrected) diving around the water. We think there are schools of fish under the water being hunted by larger predators, forcing them to the top.
Greg goes down for a nap, still recovering from his back strain. I make sardines and crackers with cheese for a light lunch.
Around 4 (we have crossed a time zone today) we stop and go for a swim in 24 degree water. As we are showering we notice we have caught a sea turtle on the fishing line. I pull him in and Greg gets the hook out. It is about 25 pounds and does not does not look too badly hurts after all. We let him go and he swims off after a few pictures.
Yves and play chess (I win) using the cockpit floor as our chess board. Greg cooks up a great fish dinner with a dill sauce, potato and carrots and peas.
We set the spinnaker and set the main sail. There is not much wind and we are stuck for a while in the doldrums. The water temp has dropped to around 19 degrees and it feels a little colder out. I clean up and go to bed.