Another Fishing Record

Just a couple days after catching the most fish in a single day aboard Avventura we set another fishing record late yesterday with the biggest fish ever caught. The excitement began around 1840 when the fishing pole began screaming out like mad. Line was being pulled so fast you could almost see smoke coming off the reel. My dad was quick to reach for the pole and tighten the drag while I pulled in the jib to slow us down. The combination of these gave us just enough time to stop the fish from running, and with just a few turns of 100 pound test line left on the reel the fight began. It wasn't till forty-five minutes later and two tacks that we finally saw color! Biggest darn flash of color I've ever seen. Another fifteen minutes later and I grabbed hold of the line and manhandled the 100-pound-plus yellowfin tuna alongside the boat where after a bit of commotion we decided (with a little help from the fish) that there was no way we could kill it or try and bring it aboard. After an hour fight and slight delay in our progress the fish swam free, having put a smile on the face of this tired crew and made our day. I'm not sure what the record is for biggest tuna caught from a sailboat, but I'm sure that fish'd get us an honorable mention somewhere.
By the time the massive beast had swam away the sun had set and we resumed sailing through what would become our nicest night at sea to date. The squalls held off till the early morning hours, and I managed to squeeze in a couple more hours of sleep. Though I won't be fully rested till a few days after I step off this boat I am getting enough sleep to get by. Somehow I've managed to obtain a cough while hundreds of miles from land, though, and it has nagged me the past 72 hours, always feeling worse when I settle down to try and sleep. Perhaps it's just time for my biannual bout of sickness, one last chance for my body to fight off the multitude of parasites I must have picked up while abroad. Dawn has revealed an ominous cloudy sky and light drizzle off and on with very little wind, so for the first time since leaving the motor drones on for more than a five minute interval. I'll let it tick away till the wind fills in a bit, but am already anxious to get back under sail.

June 20-0630
29.27N by 156.11W

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