pos1800, 12/12/19. 09 22'.465"S, 135 35'.916"E. Conditions are still pretty good but today we haven't been able to switch off the motor owing to low winds. The direction has been ok and that is NNW. At 0100 this morning while the moon was shining her best light and
sparkle along came a large pod of small dolphins. I was sitting in front of the chart plotter screen, which is quite bright and I heard the familiar clicks, just like dolphins in a show. When I turned around the cheeky dolphin jumped as if to say 'Ok, now you know I'm here, just
watch'. Watch I did and went out on the foredeck to see the antics of many small dolphins, both sides of the boat, leaping and diving in the moonlight. What magic. I lewt them know how much I appreciated their visit and made them promise to come back and entertain
John on his watch which was to begin around 0200. They did keep their promise and returned to entertain him some time after 0200. On my next watch beginning at 0500, as the morning sun was rubbing sleep out of her eye behind a pink curtain, along came more
dolphins. I don't think they were the same ones as they seemed bigger, probably white sided dolphins, not the spinners which previously visited. The enjoyed the boats bow wave for a short while then went off to finish their breakfast, which looked lively. They were all
chasing a huge school of fish, the largest school I have ever seen. The diving fish went on for well over a mile and as far as the eye could see. They looked like very small tuna and may well have been as it appears that this is tuna country. After the feeding a lone and
very large dolphin came to visit, a bottle nose I think, and greeted me by one almighty straight up leap in the air and a headfirst entry, Olympic diver gold medalist performance. He didn't stay long but was just saying good morning and bringing some joy with it.
The day went on very hot and peaceful with no other vessels in sight, on the radar screen or visible by eye or even AIS. Tonight though there is a fast ship about 12 miles away, so the AIS says. We wont see him as he will disappear before too long. Tonight is an all
nighter for me, since John has developed a very bad cold and is now soundly asleep on his bed and under orders to stay there all night to shake the cold. I will try to get some cat naps in before the morning. There is very little shipping and no islands or reefs yet to deal
with. These are yet to come so we need two crew for that.
Good night from me Ginni and sleeping John.