Clearly squid can fly. Nothing else explains the one that hit me in the chest Sunday night Today I discovered an entire squadron of airborne squid on the deck. The first one I found was tangled around the traveler. The traveler is a system of ropes and pulleys we use to move the large sail (main). We have to climb over it whenever we leave the cockpit to go down below. The first squid had its tentacles and long claw like arm wrapped around the lines if it wanted to help me trim the sail. A glance around and I quickly discovered there were 6 other squid, big and small who had flow onto the boat. One was a little stinky having arrived earlier than the others and was promptly returned to the sea. Did we sail through a school? Did a pod of dolphin chase them into the air? Were they attracted by the compass light that was on last night?

I had just decided on what to make for breakfast. Calamari did not seem like the right compliment for that although 6 is a lot of squid. I am not convinced I found them in time for them to be safe to eat. Some squid photography with the microscope and close examination revealed that several of them were gasping their claw hands together in a kind of squid yoga pose. I showed the plateful of squid to Karl when he woke up and had him feel the rough pads of their hands. I proposed keeping them in a zip lock for later comparative anatomy dissection. Karl vetoed my save the squid for later idea and I tossed them back. Now the puzzle is how do squid fly and to they go backwards of forwards. I should have done some experiments or even remembered what orientation they were on the deck. A mystery to be resolved. I was again by a squid during my evening watch. When I picked it up it wrapped its tentacles around my little finger and bit me with its beak. No blood drawn but stings. It quickly went back in the ocean.

After my pre departure egg nightmare (400 hundred eggs) we ended up with only 30 since that is how they sold them at the farmers market. So, I have been scrounging the boat for breakfast ideas other than eggs. Danielle and Justin gave us a lot of corn meal during the pandemic that is here with us. I have decided to master grits on this passage. Today's grits were maple almond grits with grilled bananas on top. Next considering sage and cheese grits or maybe an Asian with soy sauce grit variation.

Karl got the water maker working and we filled a Long Point Outfitter 1-liter bottle. We are moving so fast the system has bubbles and stopped working. The miles are flying. Our friends have all left port now so while the last boat I saw was a little open fishing boat off of Isabela, we have email and single side band connection with others in this really big sea.