Whooo Hoooo! 310 miles to the Straights of Juan de Fuca and scorching my way northeast. The big low set in and I am completely reefed down, seeing steady 7 knots with big surges to 8 plus. In typical all or nothing fashion, I should see 25 - 35 knot Southerlies halfway there and then the forecast tanks right off the coast.

There was both a grim setback on the food front aboard and a huge unexpected bonus last night. First the bad news. The boat is so wet inside that the floor boards have swollen and I can no longer get into the bilge where I carefully stashed the very last of my cheese and chocolate. ARRRG! Fortunately, this blow was softened by the shocking discovery an entire roll of Ginger Nuts, “New Zealands favorite biscuits”, that had rolled away under the crackers. Ginger Nuts are just like ginger snaps, but the color and consistency of red building bricks. I was so excited and think that with careful rationing these will last me all the way home.