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Jan 23, 2007: The sun21 as a maritime biotope

25°C / 77°F

Position:17° 26' N-43° 55' W

Wind: 0km/h

Our boat has slowed down considerably despite the same revolution per minute - Why?

In the early morning, the sea was smooth like glass. When we woke up, something was different: deepest silence – so unfamiliar for somebody who lives in the so-called civilization. This silence was one with the endless space of the silver-covered sea. We stopped the engine. The boat was floating in the middle of this silence, in this light-blue pinkish velvet. This unique sensation impressed us deeply, mainly the absolute degree of silence.

Due to this calm, Mark could follow up on his suspicion that our boat had slowed down considerably despite the same revolution per minute ("Drehzahl") of the motors. The solution of the mystery: The bottom of our hulls has turned into a maritime biotope – algae, seaweed and thousands of shells (lepas anatifera – "Entenmuschel")! All of them have chosen our boat for settlement (without presenting documents). Immediate action was needed: Divers off deck! Mark and David put on the diver's gear and took sticks, on which spatulas had been installed. They worked for a whole hour scraping all the parts of the boat that are below  surface. At the same time, Michel, Beat and Martin took position as shark watchers (luckily, without any reason). The shark watchers went for a swim afterwards and were not devoured either. (If tomorrow you find no report, well…) As soon as the work was finished, big clouds approached and a brisk wind started to blow – but only after an hour, this episode was over and the sea became smooth again. Evidently, the trade winds ("Passat") have not returned from vacation yet.

Now, the boat rides again in its usual floating manner. The day was crowned by a symphony, a canopy of colors: purple, orange, golden, blue, turquoise, slowly dimming into the night of Venus and the crescent moon.

Speed: 3 knots, mileage today: 72 miles per 24 hours.

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