Tropical Vibes and Missing Birds

Well, it's definitely feeling and looking more tropical now, but those steady trade winds seem to have taken a break. Yesterday, as the wind started pushing us south, we gybed, expecting it to shift - which it did, for a while. Then it would sneak back to where it was before gradually coming around again. Everytime we thought about changing course there would be a hint of a wind shift. Talk about indecisive.

Around midnight, it was clear another gybe was in order. So, here we are, pushing on even as the wind decides to take it easy. We had a little burst of excitement last night when it picked up to around 18 knots, but now it's back down to below 15. And if the forecast is right, it's going to ease off even more and shift behind us.

I've been moaning about the lack of seabirds for a while now, blaming it on overfishing and the damage it does to the environment. Even a few years ago, it wasn't unusual to have boobies and other seabirds hanging around the boat during the day. We'd often even have one hitching a ride at night, catching a nap on a railing.

But yesterday, I was reading about how bird flu is affecting marine life and seabirds. Now I'm wondering if maybe it's not just overfishing, but a combination of that and bird flu that's causing the eerie quiet out here. It means there is less bird 'deposits' to clean off the deck. But I am going to be shooing them away in future. After going through unprecedented times I was looking forward to things going back to 'precedented times' and not worse.

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