POST

Friday May 18, 2007
A fishing boat last night VHF radioed very clearly, meaning he was within 30 miles of us,
in perfect American English, a message to a fellow fishing boat about LONG LINE FISHING.
After our little too close encounter with long line fishermen off the coast of Columbia,
we are just a little interested in where fishing boats are going. We radio and the fishing
boat ignores us and does not answer. It was a long night for John, Deborah and Ant. Just
before midnight Ant spots a fishing boat, probably the same one we heard on the radio
earlier in the evening. For the next 2 hours all three of them were on deck trying to
handle the situation. The fishing boat was lit up like a Christmas tree. They were not
answering repeated attempts to raise them on the radio. Just when the situation looked
like the night we snagged a line, the fishing boat captain turned to pass our stern. The
whole incident probably cost us an hour's transport time. The fishermen were probably
doing something they should not have been doing and did not want us to know their identity.

Thinking I was late for my 6 AM watch, I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed for the fly. I
found Deborah looking very tired following the fishing boat ordeal. I apologized for being
5 minutes late only to find out I was 20 minutes early. I told her to go to bed, but we
chatted until Don showed up just before 6 AM. A few days ago the sun would be rising by 6
AM, but today the sun does not rise until almost 7 AM. We have made our way west and
probably should move to Pacific Standard Time soon, we are about due south of the boundary
between New Mexico and Arizona. It is hard to understand how we can be so far out in the
Pacific Ocean and still be under continental US.

The sea state has turned gentile and the winds have turned light except when we sail under
a rain squall; the weather is cloudy today and the trades have not shown up yet. We will
be lucky to do 8 knots today. Ant is up earlier than expected and is putting out the
fishing lines. Maybe it is having seen professional fishermen last night or a hangover of
the excitement catching the Wahoo two nights ago. He joins us in the fly to read a book
and watch his lines. Suddenly there is a new noise I have never heard. Ant leaps up and
bolts down the fly stairs yelling something. Finally I make out he is yelling FISHING
POLE! The strange noise was the real winding so fast all the line spun off in a second or
two. Ant lashed the big boat rod to the stern rail and he was running towards it. John
says in New Zealand he is going to have rod holders added to Bella Donna; I think we are
turning him into a fisherman. Just as Ant is even with the cockpit table I hear a loud
snap. All the line, the lure (Hawaii Squid) and some rod eyelets shoot out to sea with the
speed of a bullet. About 150 yards behind Bella Donna a very large Marlin is leaping out
of the water as if fighting the fisherman who has hooked him. He continues to leap into
the air at least 10 times; I have to look at the nude fishing pole to believe we can't
catch him and he is just fighting the line in the water. The line was 120 pound test and
the ease of total destruction of the rig is an indication of the size of the Marlin. John
decides the rod holder will be mounted-welded into the solid aluminum beam that supports
the deck, although Ant's lashing, the stern rail and the Penning real survived unhurt.

This just in, we just caught 2 Wahoo at the same time. We must have passed through a
school of them. Deborah has chicken out, but I am thinking chicken Cesar salad again for
lunch tomorrow and Wahoo for dinner. Both were caught on Tuna thrasher lures. The meal was
great and very healthy.

God Bless Bella Donna.