Two weeks in

Yesterday we recovered and deployed buoys at 20N 23W. While there the crew made the most of it and caught a few of the tuna that live around the moorings. Sashimi appetizer with dinner.  The next week or so we will be heading due South along 23W, visiting 3 more buoy sites until the equator.

Turning downwind has made a huge difference in the ship's motion. Again, surprising how similar such a large ship can be to a small sailboat in these regards.

The skies are hazy, and the buoys are covered in a thick layer of dust, blown out to sea from the Saharan desert. One of the research groups onboard is focused specifically on the role of this atmospheric dust in hurricane formation, as it alters the exchange of heat between atmosphere and ocean.

Today we will pass through the Cape Verde Islands, close enough to see, but not to step ashore. For that we have to wait until Cape Town.

17.5N 22.75W