"Penelope" continues to plough her way East, helped by a rolling Westerley swell. We are now in Longitude 12ºW. Cape Town is situated in Longitude 18ºE With luck we can eat up 2º of Longitude per day - which makes 15 days to Cape Town. In a sailing boat one cannot, and must not, however, be ever too sure. Often the unpredictable happens, but we have a stout vellel and a stout crew, inspired by a splendid skipper, so the initial chagrin of having to sacrifice our call at Tristan is tempered with optimism, on the long haul still before us.
At all cost we must avoid the equinoctial gales which customarily sweep around the Cape of Good Hope during the second half of March. "Fair winds to the Cape" is what we now want, above all.
Rain during the morning provided the where with all for a washing day. Clothes, towels and bodies received welcome ablutions from the skies.
Oliver better today.
Soon after 23.00h, in Lat. 34º 41ºS, Long 11º 15ºW, the skipper sighted a steamer's navigation lights on our port quarter coming up astern. Altered course northwards to lessen the distance (estimated 5 miles) between us, and prepared the Aldis Lamp for signalling.
After some preliminary attemps to establish communication, prejudiced by the fact that we were swamping in the sea and at times our lamp dipped in the trough of the swell, the following conversation took place:-
Penelope - I wish to communicate with you (signal)
Steamer - Go ahead (signal)
Subsequently in plain language:
P: Yacht Penelope Elle from Rio to Cape Town 22 days out please report us all well to Lloyd's London.
S: What is your call sign?
P: MVZQ. Thank you. What ship?
S: Japanese Tanker "EIHO MARU" Santos to Durban
P: Who is President of Brazil?
S: Juscelino Kubitschek
P: Thanks Good Night Bon Voyage
S: Thanks Same to you
Shortly after Midnight her sternlight dipped below our forward horizon and we were once again alone in the Atlantic.
Trolling for fish. No Catch.
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