31 Oct - off line blog
Today cpt Micke used a 555 type of lubricant as medicine for Pixel in order to keep her fit and healthy in the salty waters of the Mediterranean and beyond.
After a number of shots of medicine it was time to bring down the gennaker before pointing Pixel's noose more directly towards Gibraltar. Good coordination between women power and men power is always needed onboard, especially when it comes to sail handling.
... on our way to Gibraltar today. It was the first time we could enjoy powerful assistance with the help of this colorful sail. Jim and Micke handled the sail on fore deck with Stefan at the helm assisted by Annika. When everything was in place Ebba served us bottled sparkling pressed grapes to commemorate this happy occasion.
30 Oct - off line blog
Bicycling off season on Formentera is perfect is you wish to avoid overcrowded trails, cafe's and restaurants. Annika, Eva and Stefan joined me for the day but after a joint coffe break Stefan disappeared at race speed. Staffan and the two ladies now had a chance to get lost together.
But with a little help of Mr. Google we could all meet up at the "Blue Bar" for a very tasty and generous serving of grilled chicken & bacon sallad served by a friendly alien. Thanks Annika for guiding us to this restaurant!
I would love to return for a second helping together with my wife.
... from Fermentera early Sunday morning. Yesterday Jim, a new crew member, joined us in Fermentera for the reminder of our sea adventure. Jim is the owner of Pixel and he has given her this unique name which relates to his professional life. Jim's luggage was left behind in Amsterdam and is supposed to arrive at Ibiza airport at 9 AM Sunday.
Eva left us today, as scheduled, and in order to fly home from Ibiza to start her new life with a new job and in a new house. The number of crew members remains steady at seven (7) as compared to the wind which is much more unpredictable (0-16 ms). Today, at least, we will use more diesel power than wind power as we head towards Gibraltar.
... and flower power along today's mountain bike route. During my six hours in the saddle I found only a limited number of flowers in full bloom. Here are a few samples of what you can expect to see this late in the year
... of a mountain bike.. This island is perfectly suited for exploration by bicycle. No high moutains and many well marked trails, many for the exclusive use by hikers and pedal travellers. Part of the island is a natural parc with sand dunes and beautiful beaches.
ii desu, ne?
... after 82 hours at sea. We arrived at the Sabina Marina as number three out of a total of four "More 55" boats sailing to Las Palmas for the ARC race.
Upon arrival this evening I met the captain on Pixel's sister ship "More Amore". Everyone onboard his ship had been hardhit by seasickness en route from Palermo. Two of his paying guests, out of a total of four, have had enough will now return home from Fermentera. The captain offered me to move over to his ship and to give me a nice private cabin. When Micke, my captain, heard this, he refused to let me move... A crew member with "sealegs" is on every captain's wish list!
After a hot shower ashore it was great to have a nice dinner in a local restaurant together with my ship.mates.
My food choice: marinated and lightly grilled tuna fish with sweet potatoes, aubergine and almond mousse. A local white wine went very well with my meal.
27 Oct - off line blog
Africa bound birds are using Pixel as a resting place while crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Our hospitality deck is always open, offering tired flyers food and water before they take off to their final destination.
The sky master below actually spent the whole night with us before flying away to his winter habitat.
... to welcome the new day. As a bonus we also do aerobic exercises in order to stay fit.
Oct 26 - off line blog
After an excellent calm weather breakfast prepared by Ebba, our hostess, it was nice to be able to relax after two really jumpy days. Since our last stop we have now been sailing 54 hours and depending on the weather it will take approx. an additional 30 hours before we reach Formentera.
Oct 24 - off line blog
On Tuesday morning we made our last minute preparations and toping up the fuel tank with diesel for the long jump to our next destination.
As I am writing this we are off line and very much off shore. We are 24 hours into this leg and the sea is very much alive with 3-4 m waves and a wind factor of 12-16 m/s.
To prepare hot food onboard is a real challenge - I was the only volunteer and was able to provide a bowl of rice with a stroganoff stew for those who were able to eat - and keep the meal down for an extended length of time.
Our position just now is between Tunisia in the south and the island of Sardinia in the north (according to Mr Google).
... onboard Pixel preparing Japanese style rice lunch Oct 25 at 15 degree tilt. Check the angle of the gas stove! It is quite a challenge to keep all meal ingredients on the counter, avoiding dangerous flying objects, e.g. sharp knives, while keeping your own body in a safe position.
We have not noticed much traffic here in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. This morning we met three sea turtles heading east and yesterday we met one container ship and one marin vessel with two hoovering helicopters heading in the same direction.
In the photo below: Ebba at the wheel together with our captain Micke.
Our current position at noon, Oct 26:
N 38°09.056' E 5°59.116'
Our HDG: 282, wind 2.7 m/s, speed 7.1 kn,
Sea temp 23.1°C
In the south we now have Algeria on the north African mainland.
27 Oct - off line blog
It is much cooler (+23.1°C) and more exciting to be on-line Pixel offshore as compared to be on-line Internet onshore.
But it was hard to stay connected to the line and later climb onboard Pixel while she was slowly moving forward over a depth of 1800 m. For a life time thrill you should try it.
Pixel's brave on-liners from left to right: Ebba, Annika. Eva and Staffan.
Due to very strong winds we will sail nonstop from Palermo to La Savina at the island of Formentera, bypassing our planned stop at Cagliari, Sardinia. It will be a rather challenging trip. Only one cooked meal per day until Friday night or Saturday morning. We are now preparing Pixel by securing all lose item inside as well as on deck.
Yesterday I made the 7 km long trip on foot to the old town of Palermo tohether with my shift mates Eva and Tore. Also Stefan joined us for the walk.
Our marina is located NW of the commercial harbour and the area just outside the marina is best to avoid at nighttime for personal safety reasons. In Palermo we had great espresso and sandwiches and could also meet some local residents with two or four legs. The smaller ones had left their visiting cards all over the sidewalks - forcing us to do "the Palermo slalom" in order to stay smellfre
Yesterday we arrived at our safe harbour in Palermo together with our three sister ships. Yesterday's sailing was excellent with speeds of up to 8.4 Kn. We have now completed 23% of the distance to Las Palmas. Total distance is 2400 Nm (4440 km) and we have so far covered 560 Nm (1036 km).
After a great dinner on freshly caught swordfish it was nice to return to Pixel and my small cabin and go to sleep while passively listening to the noise of the increasing wind.
... between Sicily and Isola di Vulcano, visible behind Staffan at the helm. He is wearing all his safety equipment after having been on duty since 6 AM.
We expect to arrive in Palermo at sunset today after sailing 44 hours nonstop.
