Day two update from Anduril:
Better progress today having left Juan De Fuca strait in our wake. Day a mixture of weather of various forms; fog (always a joy wondering what is hiding in it;) rain (resident architect Brett's companionway bubble invaluable) and various wind strengths and directions (try out those sail combinations.)
At least we are moving in the right direction at more than a sleepy snail's pace. Anything compared to yesterdays crawl is welcome! At this time dinner is being prepared and we are trying to make as much noise with the spinnaker as it snaps open in the waves.
Spent some time marvelling at the immense areas of these little jelly like creatures that have a tiny sail on them. At some places the sea was green with them as they have little blue-green tentacles. A couple of sightings of a large whale provided another example of why it is so nice to be at sea.
No mutinies, uprisings or keel-hauling to report as Anduril harbours a happy crew.
Guy
Anduril Sailing Blog
They are called Velella. Each apparent individual Velella velella is in fact a hydroid colony, and most are less than about 7 cm long. They are usually deep blue in colour, but their most obvious feature is a small stiff sail that catches the wind and propels them over the surface of the sea. Under certain wind conditions, they may be stranded by the thousand on beaches.
ReplyDeleteLike other Cnidaria, Velella velella are carnivorous. They catch their prey, generally plankton, by means of tentacles that hang down in the water and bear cnidocysts (also called nematocysts). Though the toxins in their nematocysts are effective against their prey, V. velella is harmless to humans, either because its nematocysts are unable to pierce the skin, or perhaps because humans do not react to the toxins encapsulated in their nematocysts. Nevertheless, it is wise to avoid touching one's face or eyes after handling V. velella.