Last night was another very calm night of motorsailing. I am finally starting to sleep well in my off watch. Could be the calm seas, orI'm getting used to the schedule. Maybe just exhaustion? overall I think we are both doing well with the 3 hr watch rotation.

Today we are experiencing a forecasted NW wind about 15 kts. This is welcome relief after 2 daysof motorsailing. we are presently reaching down towards NZ at 7 knots with a single reef. It's a little bouncy, but the boat likes it and it's good to be sailing again. Not to mention saving fuel against later need. We are still about 400 miles out (3-4 days) and although the wind forecasts are relatively mild, we have to cross one more front, then deal with about 12 hrs of big swell (5 meters!) from the SW. So there may be more motoring ahead.

We've been seeing huge schools (squadrons?) of flying fish that all leap out of the water and fly incredible distances in unison. They sometimes even wheel and turn together midair like a flock of birds. These aren't small fish either. Many are 8-10 inches, like small trout. Sometimes, usually at night, they die spectacularly on deck. I'll hear a loud "smack" and I jump up thinking something on the boat broke, then I'll hear "flippity-flap" which is fishe'a last gasp. It does no good to try and toss them back, I think they die from the concussion. The other night one went whizzing past my head to crash in the other side of the cockpit. A couple more feet and he might have made it all the way over the boat.