Day 5 and 6

See-sawing in a washing machine! That's what we've been doing since yesterday morning. The winds picked up in the morning and haven't let off since. Yesterday, we were seeing 15-20 knots winds and then over night, they picked up to 25 knots. The good thing about that...we'll be in the Marquesas sooner! The bad thing about that..it is very hard to walk, cook or do just about anything when the boat is heeling and bouncing around.

Nevertheless, the ocean is as beautiful as ever and I continue to enjoy sitting and looking across its endless expanse. Even in these boisterous conditions, I'm at ease with being here and, in part, I thank Gromit, for that! Another part of thanks goes to Michael, co-captain, sail trim and 'nothing-he-can't-fix' guy! Thanks also, go to our 3 incredible kids, who keep us hopping and entertain us with their ideas and antics! Thanks also to 'Artemo' whose constant presence, just a couple of miles off, makes us feel at ease.

Gromit has been sailing beautifully in these 25 knots winds. He/She (can't figure out which pronoun to use, as Gromit, the dog is a 'he' and, boats are traditionally 'she'), is strong, steadfast and reliable, just like he is in the Wallace and Gromit series.

We are coming up to our first 1000 mile milestone in our approximate 3100 mile journey. Sometime in the next 30-40 hours, we will get to our 1/3 mark. Party? Should I ask the kids if they want to have a party?!!?

Day 7, Tuesday, June 15 to Wednesday, June 16, 2010

We caught our first fish off the back of the boat this afternoon. Exciting! We tie the hand line to the winch and I noticed that it was turning ever so slightly. It makes a little ticking noise when it does so. I called out that we had one on the line. Everyone came running and Michael started reeling in. Next step,radio Artemo! We always radio the other boat as soon as we know we have one on the line and give them a play by play.

We were all amazed as Michael brought this beautiful fish closer and closer. Then, the big moment, he raised it out of the water. It was a dorado, AKA mahi mahi. The ironic thing was, that we caught this fish about 2 minutes after he had put our bought fish into a marinade. I left the back of the boat to get a pan and to throw the marinating fish back into the freezer. I don't do well when it comes time to finishing off a fish, or any animal for that matter. This one was pretty well dead by the time we got it on deck. Michael figured that it died by being pulled so quickly through the water and couldn't breath properly. Mahi mahi, rice, fried plantain and a Maia made coleslaw. What a feast!

Michael took the night shift and I woke to milder winds and grey skies. Not for long though. Soon after Michael went to bed I called him back up to assess whether we needed to reef the sails in light of the low lying clouds on the horizon in front of us. We turned on our radar and found squalls ahead. The best thing to do is to avoid them by sailing around them. That was our strategy and Michael went back to bed.

Now, changing course with a wind vane is more involved that doing so with an auto pilot. On the auto pilot you just press an arrow button to the left or right, the rudder angle changes and the boat turns. With a wind vane, you have to go to the back of the boat and manually adjust it. So, I clipped my tether onto my life jacket and then into the life line and headed to the back of the boat. Three things have to align to make a successful course change. The vane has to be turned either left of right and it is tricky to remember which way to turn it, because it is opposite to what you think. Then after adjusting the vane you look at the heading you are going to see if it has been adjusted in the right direction and to the correct heading. Finally, hoping with all your might, you look at the wind indicator at the top of the mast to see if the wind is still at a favourable angle for maximum speed and minimum sail adjustment. It's all a little daunting at first, but by the time I had done it 4 times this morning, remember is was dodging squalls, I kind of got the hang of it. Within a few hours, all the squalls had dissipated and we were back to clear, joyful sailing.

In the afternoon, we did a sail-by. We sailed about 50 metres off of Artemo's starboard side. We wanted to check to see if there were real people behind those voices we hear every day. Usually, we are between 1 and 2 miles apart, so it was a big thrill to be so close- within greeting distance! The kids were so funny. They were singing and shouting, giggling and jumping. And the great thing was that this coincided perfectly with two big moments. As we passed by, it was exactly 1 week that we had been underway and we were only 3 nautical miles short of having sailed 1000 miles! What a fantastic way to celebrate two milestones. Waves, smiles and happiness all around!

Day 9, Friday June 19, 2010 1310 nautical miles

OK, the washing machine we have been see-sawing in is on steroids! The winds have not let off and at times gust higher than before. The swell is between 10-12 feet plus the wind driven waves on top. The good thing is that we are making good time. We are a faster boat than Artemo, so to stay together, we have to reef our sails. Currently, we are sailing with a small storm sail and reefed main and mizzen and we are still doing an average of 7 knots. Thank goodness we aren't sailing into the wind and waves.

Liam caught another fish yesterday, a tuna, but it was so small that we decided to throw it back in. It seems that the best time to catch fish is at about 7 pm, just when we turn on our SSB radio to check in with our position report on the Pacific Puddle Jump Network. Three times, Artemo, and twice we have had a bite right at the most inopportune time. So, all you fisher folk, if you want to catch a fish, turn on your SSB radio!

When the seas are boisterous, it is hard to cook. It will be canned soup and noodles for dinner tonight. I need to make bread, but can't find the energy. It is incredible how tiring this bouncing around is. Not for a moment does the motion stop. You are always correcting, repositioning and balancing. Even when you are sitting down. It is quite a challenge. It's not what I had envisioned. After all, I read all those cruising stories! Ah, yes, the 'Pacific'. What does Pacific mean if not calm and gentle! 10-15 knots winds with following seas. Really? I'm not meaning to complain. I like that we are moving along. Nothing is worse than being becalmed and rocking about with sails and rigging twapping (new verb?). A day of 10 knot winds to regroup and re-coop, that's what we would like!