We were somewhere between Cap Corse (Corsica) and
Genoa.
Anchor up at 7pm and all clear then. Motors on between 11pm and 2am, otherwise good breeze between 8 and 19 knots and full
sails, discovered the splodges when we approached Genoa and i went forward at around 9am. Limited time for a bird to perch whilst the genoa was furled, but that would explain why the sail was unmarked. There are a lot of cormorants on
Corsica, and by 11pm we would only have been 20 miles or so northwest so that could be the answer.
As to tasting it, in my defence, I hadn't had breakfast. Interesting question though - more vegetable than fish and not chemical - my initial reaction was that we had hit a floating chemical container but then realised that the spatters seemed more consistent with falling than rising. Also whether flying fish can leave deposits like that.
Initially it was hard to get off. Had to get the big
guns out - mild oxalic acid and that did the trick.