Sunny day, starry night
Catching up a fair breeze under full sail over calm seas. Another day that begins in the low clouds and develops into a sunny journey as the sun heats the sea surface.
A day for ocean wanderers.
The northwesterly light airs become a brisk breeze, conditions that will probably last for another day before turning to a southeasterly.
EUROPA gets the grasp of this bit more wind, sets all her canvas, and under full sail heads eastwards over the flat seas. Around her today, numerous Great Shearwaters fly, following the ship. Now the flock glides on the calm winds, then they land close to her hull and let her pass by before catching up again. A species typical of the South Atlantic, where they nest in the Falkland Islands and Tristan Archipelago. But this is not where they spend all their lives. After finishing the breeding season, not much later than these dates, these truly oceanic wayfarers disperse all over this vast ocean, all the way to the Arctic Circle. Then, in large flocks, they come back south to find their nesting burrows around September–October.
A similar migratory schedule as the Bark Europa around her most known ocean, the Atlantic. Following these shearwaters, she starts sailing up north during this present trip, eventually, and after several more adventures at sea, reaching the northern European ports. Her way south usually brings her back along the Atlantic around the same dates that these journeying birds return to their remote breeding lands.
As the wind gradually picks up during the day, the birds land less and less frequently and glide and soar around us instead.
Sails are set, a good breeze blows, birds fly around, she sails smoothly, and the sun shines in the blue sky. A good opportunity to put into practice what we have learned about classical celestial navigation so far. Sextants come up on deck to try for a meridian passage sight.
When the sun crosses the meridian you are sailing on, it will reach its highest point and will be equally far away from sunrise and sunset. This moment is also called meridian passage (MP).
At this moment, its true bearing will be 000° or 180°, depending on whether you are north or south of the sun, and using a couple of simple formulas, latitude can be easily calculated.
Preparing for what is to come, and taking the chance on this calm and sunny day, it is time to start thinking about spreading extra canvas to the steady light winds expected in a few days when we reach the area of the southwesterly trade winds.
For that, we have in storage six studding sails. But to set them, a bit of work aloft and on deck is necessary. It will take a couple of days to have all the gear rigged. Today, their poles were hoisted to their respective yards. Then, leaving the sunset on our back after 86 nm made good towards Namibia, it is time to wrap up and square the decks before dinner. Tomorrow will be another day to prepare and bring aloft their lines, blocks, halyards, and sheets.