Stormy Thursday gives way to Tuna and Salmon Thursday! (Written on March 07, 2013)
At midnight we are 97 nm south of the Head of The Bight. From 1510 UTC, Universal Time Co-ordinated or (1210 Local Time) until 1606 UTC, being 1306 Local Time, I monitor the sonobuoy, but only 4 or 5 sounds are heard, it is a quiet night. Once the systems are shut-down, I am interested to examine the sounds all around and note them as follows:
- the motors rumble and “grrmmmm”
- the water moving away from the hull makes an easy “frrrrrr”
- the white-wash spreading on the surface a soothing “ssshhhuuhh”
- the wheelhouse console “hums” with veritable electronic-ness
- the valves opening/closing hydraulic rams in the auto-pilot produce an unusual tune of “dah-doh-dah-dah-dor-daw”, and
- my summer crickets all-year-long in my right ear (tinnitus!) go “aarrrhhhh”
Sounds that I don’t hear tonight include:
- wind on the waves blowing
- wind in the rigging and aerials humming
- the air-conditioning unit whirring, and
- dolphins swimming beside us blowing.
Grey – this is the new blue!
Photo credit M.Jenner
The sky is beginning to cloud over, covering the fabulous array of stars, but not before I catch a glimpse of a shooting star. What sound does an exploding or imploding meteor make? Imagine hearing this! More intriguingly, who witnesses this?
All of yesterday and thus far for my night-watch the wind has been light. My 0300 (3am) entry in our ship’s log which includes our location and meteorological information records the breeze as 10-12 knots from the SE and still light. As I await Dale’s arrival for his 3-6am watch and still listening intently, I am aware that a few things start moving and rattling. The cabinets creak as we go through the waves, the head door in the wheelhouse opens unexpectedly, the hanging calendar begins to swish from side to side in the inside stairwell. Remarkably, within a mere ten minutes the motion of Whale Song reminds us that now we are in a proper sea-way, rather than the calm, seeming millpond we have had for the last couple of days. I can hear the ocean change – we are truly in an acoustic world. Apparently, I have gone to the dark side.
At 0745 am the sky is grey and cloudy when I gaze out our window at a low and continuous roll of cloud shrouding the horizon. For mariners, at least, these types of clouds are alarming… the indication of a coming front. It looks windy, bumpy and not the gorgeousness of yesterday or the forecast for today… what happened? Time to re-consult the BOM (Bureau of Meteorology). We conduct our visual observations from inside the wheelhouse – and before lunch there are no sightings. After our mid-day meal of fish (snapper and bluefin tuna), salad, boiled eggs, cheese, carrots, basil dip and baguette we have a large pod of 30-40 short-beaked common dolphins. Inday and I take video of the dolphins leaping through the waves from the portholes, inside the forward cabins! Inday is perched on the bunk in the starboard cabin, yelling “Have you got any jumps?” and I am hanging off the top bunk in the port cabin trying to hold the camera steady and I get at least four jumps between lots of water swirling in the port-hole which looks like a front-loading washing machine with lovely green water. I can hear Skipper inside now and guess he is looking for me. Soon he will want to be on the bunk beside me sharing the porthole! What a crazy world this is! What a crazy dog he is!
Our prize catch, a bluefin tuna – at last we have fish on the menu!
Photo credit M.Jenner
When I take the centre Stidd chair in the wheelhouse for my mid-day watch, we are 87 nm south of Eucla. We are home – we crossed into WA around 1130am! By 1415 the drizzly rain has cleared and making a Nespresso coffee dreamily gazing aft, I see the distinctive splash of a fish on our line… Racing onto the aft deck, I pull it in hand-over-hand, carefully keeping pressure on the line and yelling, “We’ve got a fish!” Curt slows the boat and everyone arrives, it is so exciting for the whole ship when we catch a fish! Photos are collected of our next delectable bluefin tuna of its’ unique electric blueness. Yummm!
The sun is out and about as the huge swathe of clouds clears before our very eyes. By 1425 we begin FULL EFFORT survey again with all observers on the fly-bridge. The sky behind the clearing stratus and cumulus, is a wonderful bright blue. We sail along into the warm, even hot sunshine and it’s necessary to wear my “frill-necked ” fishing hat for sun protection, even during this late afternoon and early evening. Flesh-footed shearwaters gather circling our stern, variously squabbling when Sam throws scraps while filleting our newly caught fish. Six albatross constantly circle Whale Song flying ahead, landing and then as we approach lift awkwardly, sometimes moving only 5 metres away.
One pod, of approximately 50 “common mangoes” (our code for common “dolphins” so Skipper doesn’t overreact) splashes at 2.2 nm away, white marks on an all blue sea. They pass abeam us at this distance, but at least we know something is here… and at least I have seen a few things of late. Listening for things and identifying the albatross by checking the photos has kept me busy recently. Remember, I am on the dark side. Listening rules!
A green flash at sunset! Evidence for the sceptics!
Photo credit M.Jenner
More senses, we can smell fantastic aromas coming from the galley. Resty is baking the salmon Dale bought in Port Lincoln which Sam purchased and retrieved on our ships’ bike (with a $150 fine, eekkk) and frying garlic for the Oh-so-expensive Organic green beans (hmmm!), also fills the air. Strangely, it turns out this is a very expensive, but terribly tasty meal! Our tummies rumble loudly, but while the fish receives a quick ten minute bake and potatoes continue to brown nicely, the crew prepare for the sunset of the century. The heavy cloud still present in front of our fine vessel is clear just above the horizon and we are hopeful of a green flash at sunset. Through the lens as the suns sinks I can see green and yellow but interestingly, the final hue tonight is a blast of a distinct vibrant purple-blue. Immediately checking the photos we have indeed witnessed another “green flash” at sunset and have photographic evidence for the non-believers in the crowd! Once the sunset is over and all have gathered, we are given the go-ahead for dinner. Baked salmon, green beans (Organic, by the way! Did I say?) drizzled in a garlic butter sauce, baked potatoes and steamed rice are so delicious! We are in heaven!
Tomorrow we shall be in the western part of the Bight. We are hopeful for a number of critters seen last year when here, including Risso’s dolphins, pilot whales and killer whales. Here’s to hoping!
Mich
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