Hi, we are on day 12 of our crossing from Panama to French Polynesia and have traveled about 1700 nautical miles. The total distance is around 4000nm give or take a few hundred so it looks to be a slow trip but in time we are well over 1/2 way as we have found the trade winds at last at 8 degrees south latitude.

The discrepancy is found in speed/time/distance calculations as we had no wind for about 4 days of the last 12 and averaged overall a fraction of what we are currently accomplishing. We averaged 4.5 knots on the windless days with the lowest daily run ever achieved by us of just 73 nautical miles. We are currently sitting on 8.2 knots which gives us nearly 200 nautical miles a day.

Our first landfall was to be at Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Chain but we have decided to head further south to the island of Mangareva in the Gambier Islands. A small detour of 1000 nautical miles. It will be an easier sail and better yet is way off the tourist map which makes it appealing. It is around 23 degrees south latitude while the Marquesas are only about 10 degrees south so we will also be able to check out more islands and reefs as we head north to the Marquesas and then south west for Tahiti and Bora Bora.

No major problems to date Just lots of the usual small issues continue to plague us. The starboard engine would not start yesterday and it looks like water had flooded back in through the exhaust. Everything is going well with it now though after a soul wrenching, gut swirling 1/2 hour of sweating fix. Lets hope it worked. The flap on the outerskin of the exhaust is stuck open and I have to manually close it after we stop that engine so water does not flood back in. Water is seeping back into the starboard aft cabin bunk. It has done this a few times already and happens in a following sea and rain. The water tasted salty so rain ingress dismissed and guess we have a leak somewhere in the hull or where a cable goes through the hull. Check in Mangareva !!

Everyone has settled into the trip well. No seasickness yet except for Tizer the HoP but he makes up for it by pouncing on any poor sea or air creature that manages to fly aboard. The decks are littered every morning with flying fish and squid. Tizer attacks and drags them into the main cabin where he devours all after playing with it all over the settee, floor and any other surface he wishes. Most of us will not go near the cat when he has prey as he growls like a Tiger , hisses and guards his lunch most vigorously. He also has developed a taste for Bonito and whenever the reel starts to scream he stands at my feet waiting patiently, (sometimes tapping the leg ) for his share.

The fishing has been good with a huge Dorado over 5ft long and a very large torpedo Tuna to liven up the days. I fight the fish, Jo manouvers CH like a fishing skipper, Gill swings the gaff, Keely runs around like a mad thing and Tizer bites the back of my legs waiting for his feed. Besides these interludes we have our hands full with sail plan changes and reefing. 2 to 3 sail changes a day while in variable winds tends to tucker us old fellas out and then throw in a dozen reefs and the day is over. It should not be such an issue now that we have made it to the trade winds. ...............We just fly reefed sails and sit on 8 knots..................

We have retarded clocks twice so far this trip and currently the sun still rises at 7am so guess it is time to do it again. Might make morning stars at 0500 just to liven everyone's day up!!!!

Be good.