0615hrs 31 May 2005 UTC Map Ref 264
whales.. at least three of them although i only saw one – the other two sounded from just below the surface and left two huge flat swirls on the surface so big that they flattened the waves. the one i saw breeched just ahead of the boat – perhaps a couple of boatlengths – going at right angles towards the nw. sort of olive grey, great long smooth back, with an incongruously small dorsal fin, definitely not a humpback like we see in oz, seemed to be flowing across our bows for ever, didn’t see its head or its tail and it seemed to be at least as long as the boat. beats muesli for breakfast. can anyone identify it? not much to go on.
we’ve slowed down a lot – rain, very low overcast, long rolling swell – vis about half a mile – 3rd still possible but need some more wind. wonder what the delightfull and inventive examiner still has in store for us – plenty of opportunity for her yet . i’ve been doing some rudimentary tidal vectors – something unfamiliar to many oz sailors but essential here, where the channel tides run at up to 4 kts in the middle and 7 around some of the headlands.
The logs ramblings can be cryptic, so we have added: