We're off (again)

Mindelo charmed me. I really liked it. A big big thank you to Kai, Caesar and all the boys for their hard work on cleaning out our tanks and fixing everything. Total stars. Also a big thanks to Sandy for showing us around and to Ademiro from Shell for his kind gifts and visit. It has been overwhelming how helpful everyone has been and how much work they have all put into helping us out. We also had our neighbours in the marina over for some takeaway pizza last night. How sociable are we?!

We've been on the go for a couple of hours now, things are going well. The engines are purring like kittens. Amazing what a bit of tlc can do hey?! The weather is lovely, the seas are calm although alarmingly I'm feeling a little bit woozy. I was surprised that I didnt' suffer any land sickness and am a bit concerned that I've got a few days of not feeling so hot coming along. Maybe on the positive side I'm going to actually lose some of this weight that everyone tells me is going to happen?!!! Ha, yeah right.

Digby and Geoff got fishing tips off Kai and have already set the reel up and eagerly awaiting the chance to land some of this elusive Atlantic tuna. I'm going to leave them to it! I feel I have enough fish blood on my hands after having seen the video of me bludgeoning that poor Dorado. It was pretty gruesome my friends, especially when I whacked it and then asked it 'Why won't you die?'. Oh dear, what monstor has been unleashed?

Four sleeps is it until Christmas? I have been emailed a file from my brother to open on Christmas Day. I'm pretty excited about it. For some reason, I'm missing family more than ever this Christmas. I'm not so sure what is different from any other year. I've been travelling for so long and have worked so many Christmases that it usually doesn't bug me this much. I know that Geoff and Digby will be here and we will have a fun day (I've got Christmas crackers and party poppers tucked away to ensure that we do) but I'm really sad knowing I won't be with my family. I mean, I miss them every Christmas but it's even worse this year. I guess I'll have to just look at where I am and know that they'll all be thinking of me and that I am part of something pretty exciting. I get to see them all in the New Year and we can all have extra mini Christmases then. I'm hoping this will mean extra presents....! Anyway, I've always managed to have a great Christmas wherever I am so why should this year be any different? Digby came up trumps with his wanderings in Mindelo and returned with a chicken and lemons. So we've got the bird, the potatoes and the pudding. Sounds like we're all sorted I think. And we have the oven to do it all with too. Time to get festive I think. I'm going to go and find my pink santa hat that says on it 'I'm trying to be good!'. That's more like it....

Ok, what was I saying earlier about feeling bad for killing fish? Well as soon as I had finished writing todays blog I had just put in the address to send another email and the fishing line went. We all got up to see it, Digby was reeling it in and then got self concious he didn't have a shirt on and I had my camera out. Next thing I know, I've got the reel and he's got a camera. What? Anyway, what were we saying about the elusive Atlantic tuna? We got one people!!!!! It was huge. Geoff is guestimating it to be about a 30 pounder - all I know is that it was heavy. No gory bludgeoning here today though. It was a job with the gaff. All quite delicately done and a bit quicker for the fish too which was good. Filleting it was hard work but we got four massive fillets out of it. There was a bit where I was a little bit girly though I have to admit. I cut it down the belly and in theory the guts should have all just flopped out or so I'm told. They didn't. I had to put my hand in there and it was kinda gross. And then when I was filleting it, I had a moment when I was getting in there and it was still warm. Eeeewww!