This morning we found a dozen dead flying fish on deck. (There was even a small squid a few days ago.) This is a common phenomenon and these little guys can be quite a nuisance. Last night, with a beautiful full moon finally breaking thru the clouds, we heard one hit the pilothouse window right next to Kurt’s head with blood and scales left on the window as evidence to what had just occurred. All noises must be accounted for while at sea as they could indicate possible structural, mechanical or other maintenance issues. The French name for these guys is exocet (latin fish family Exocoetidae) and is why the European missile is named after them. We always try to wear sunglasses on deck when they are on the wing and any impact would be painful.
On one passage we were below remarking how bad the other smelled. We were standing right beneath one of the ventilators where we finally determined where the smell was coming from. Reaching into the vent from on deck, sure enough, there was a rotting flying fish.
All this talk of fish and the water temperature now up to 78 F makes us want to get out the gear and catch some! But we also have to make some space in the fridge and freezer as whatever we catch out here – tuna, mahimahi, wahoo, etc. could be quite big. Maybe tomorrow.
On May 23, 2024, our position at
1200 local
1200 PDT
0700 NZST (May 24)
was:
15d33.8m N, 139d17.7m W
24 hr noon to noon: 213 nm
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