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Dec 14, 2006: On the way to Lanzarote

22°C / 72°F

Position:32 N-10 W

Wind: 10km/h

Optimal weather conditions between Casablanca and Lanzarote – blockades by fishing net debris - night guests – life on board.

We are floating now at a latitude of 32° – the same as Essaouira in Morocco. Until now, we were navigating close to the coast – the night sky not only showed Orion and the Pleiades; but it was also illuminated by the lights of the coastal towns. The density of fisher boats and fisher nets is high; and it is quite a challenge to find a free shipping channel between all of them. Curious fishermen change their course line and come close to the "sun21". Mark Wüst also observes other special guests during the night. Dolphins approach the boat. They accompany it for a while – behind them fluorescent algae form a luminescent light effect in the sea – spooky.

Now, at 1 PM, a group of dolphins visited us and played for a while with the "sun21" – a moment of paradise.

The weather is sunny now. It is 22 °C. We could unpack our shorts. The wind is in our back. During the day, we can charge the batteries for the night and cover quite a distance at the same time – about 100 miles in 24 hours. But, an unexpected obstacle has slowed us down last night. Fisher net debris was blocking one of our propellers – suddenly knocking noises and then – silence. We continued the journey with one motor. Mark had to dive this morning to remove the strings from the propeller.

David is enthusiastic about the plankton samples he collects. He finds a big range of species – among them salps, radiolaria and larvae of bristle stars.

There is no dull moment on board – scrubbing the deck, cleaning it from the sticky, dirty dust of the Casablanca harbor, filming, writing, drawing, sending and receiving mails, cooking and just looking at the wonderful world we are in and enjoying it.

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