Colombian Fisherman

Panama to Marquesas Day 12

Hi again. We had a fast day of sailing yesterday, covering 175 miles in the day. Today the wind seems to have dropped a bit so far, and we are going slow again. Still flat calm seas and blue skies. Life onboard has settled in to a nice routine. Its pretty lazy really, a lot of reading and snoozing and not really worrying about anything.

Here’s our position as of 1000 local time today. We are now 6 hours behind the UK as we crossed a time zone as we passed the Galapagos Islands.

Caught two Yellow Fin Tuna yesterday! One in the morning and one just before sunset. Both fish about 8lbs each.

The freezer is starting to fill up with tuna steaks! If anyone has any good tuna recipes to share please send them through by email or whatsapp!

So I was saying that we had settled in to a routine. Had a bit of a wake up call this morning. I was doing the weather routing for the next 24 hours and I looked out the window to see a large fishing boat surrounded by 20 foot skiffs about 0.5 miles off our starboard bow. He was not on AIS, and we simply had not seen them. Quick turn to Port and everything was alright. Then the skiffs started to leave the main boat and at least 3 heading towards us. Here we are 1500 miles from Panama and 600 miles from the nearest land (Galapagos) and there are little motor dinghies?!! Binoculars out, and all the boats were flying the Colombian Flag. So these guys are even further from home. They went on by on their way to who knows where and weren’t bothered with us (so far?!) I guess when you next buy your tuna and check that it is sustainably sourced (line fished), spare a thought for these poor guys in open boats 1500 miles out in to the Pacific. Cant be much of a life, and dangerous too.

See you again soon.

Dom & Ailsa on Azimuth