Trip log: 205 nautical miles.

Yesterday we came to the conclusion that there were no more big ships about, and especially no more of the smaller fishing skiffs. The horizon was clear, and we were in the clear. Half an hour later, what looked like a huge panga with a large flat canvas canopy over the bulk of the boat from the bow, and with a cabin at the stern, passed very close to us towing eight pangas! So much for there being no pangas out here. Obviously the "mother ship" tows them far out to sea (we were 70 miles out) so we're very likely to encounter a cluster of them.

In mid-afternoon, what looked like a destroyer loomed on the horizon. It resolved itself into the biggest purse seiner we've ever seen. So much for there being no more large or small boats to worry about.

It was flat calm and windless until about 3pm, when we turned off the motor and began sailing at a little over 2 knots, directly west. We're using Bob McDavitt of the NZ met service to help us with our routing, and he had just suggested that we make directly for 9S 90W (where we should pick up the southeast trades), southwest from where we were. When we tried this course while motoring in the calm, we slowed from 5 knots to 3.5 knots, so there was about 1.5 knots of current against us. Since we don't have enough fuel to motor all the way against the current, we decided just to sail. Since we started sailing, we've gradually turned south as the wind has backed to the southeast, and at 4am this morning, the wind rose to 12-15 knots and we've been running at 5 to 6.5 knots since then. The skies started clear in the morning, but now there are the popcorn clouds of the trade winds. Could we be in the trades? None of our weather information says so --- we're only supposed to have winds of at most 5 knots.

Another beautiful sunset ushered in a dark night, with just a sliver of moon. The skies were clear and the stars as bright as we've ever seen them. The southern cross stood out brightly, and the milky way toward the galactic center was very clear.

We have our night ghosts again. The only gulls that hunt at night are pure white. They circle the boat in the darkness, and appear like ghosts when the dull glow of the navigation lights hits them. The phosphorescence in the breaking wake, the stars, the ghosts, and the sea noises combine to make a magical scene.

Tane has cooked a fantastic spiced egg breakfast. Sal is starting her first Rosetta Stone French lesson. Tane is now setting out the fishing gear for the first time. We roll on at 5 knots.

We love to read your comments on the web site, so please keep making them. However, while we're on passage (our current predicted arrival in the Marquesas is April 26th, so we'll be on passage for about a month) we can't read the comments, so would you please also email them to roger.hunter3@gmail.com - thanks.