Moonrise was just before 0330 and only an hour later and we have crossed the equator. The stick is still standing, creaking against all of the restraining devices with each roll through the endless troughs. It just goes to remind you that everything can be going along nicely and the unexpected happens, so one must prepare for the unexpected. I told Allen there's nobody I'd rather be with in an emergency than with him, although I was never in an aircraft emergency with him, he's still the captain in charge out here! Let's hope we can get into Tarawa's Betio Harbor and find a 5/8" foot long bolt to fix it. It's a major port with the purse seiners and long liners all going through there, and someplace we didn't expect to return to, but grateful for the option. Last time we were there our gas cans were stolen from the aft deck during a rainstorm in the night, right from under our guard dogs' noses, and another night our entire dinghy was stolen only to be returned at 0730 the next day by the Bairiki police! Ahhh, fond memories of romantic travels on the high seas...

The little tiny island of Kuria, Kiribati, is about 30 miles abeam of us now, visible on the SIMRAD, and Maiana is ahead of us. We hope to reach Tarawa before sunset Monday evening. That's when it will help that we've been there before, by following our old track in, if it's still in the plotter chart's memory. I'm looking forward to a full night's sleep! What a luxury that will be.