April 26
Sonsie dancing her way towards the equator, dipping, leaping, courtseying along the spritely sea.

Just before dusk we hear a "ping". Look up. The topping lift (spare halyard) decided it wanted its freedom and was happily swinging in huge arcs above our heads. We hove to, vested & tethered up, but it defied our attempts to tame it, flicking and flying out of reach of the fully extended boathook as darkness descended. Jim finally managed to snag it, but as he pulled the line down for me to tether, it showed its displeasure at being caught and promptly wrapped its hard shackle end as tightly as it could around the radar mount on the backstay. By flashlight it was apparent it wasn't going anywhere, so as it was all tucked in for the night, we decided to leave it for the next day.

Next, rain started to fall. Drizzle turned quickly to downpour and the wind picked up from 15 knots to 30, gusting to 40. Our first squall! (A squall is a cumulous cloud out of control!) The latest weatherfax had shown the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone to be a few degrees (i.e. 120nm) south of us but I guess the ITCZ doesn't heed the forecasters' predictions. With double-reef and staysail we thought we might be able to ride it out. However it got really rough and vibration = wear & tear = expense!! not to mention the potential for failure of key pieces of equipment at critical moments. When Jim realized I was not enjoying the ride, we put in the third reef. It was then more comfortable, Sonsie fared better and we didn't lose any speed. It rained most of the night, lightning too. We used radar to help us pinpoint where other squalls were and thereby help us choose a path to dodge cells.

Coming from the airline industry, we think safety first, so debrief events to determine what worked and what didn't. We can thereby make better decisions in the future. Our guideline is "crew, craft, mission", in that order.

April 27
Untying the topping lift tangle with the boathook was easypeasy in the daylight. Especially after a heartening big breakfast of pancakes with maple syrup and fruit!

April 28
Lots of sail changes required today account unsettled weather. Getting more hot & humid. Dug out the screens and shades and zipped them up to shield us from the sun's intensity. We're both feeling a little cranky. Time to remember Dad Bliss' famous adage: You have to suffer on vacation!

At sunset there were towering pink castles of cumulous cloud. When darkness falls, it's thrilling to see both the North Star and the Southern Cross in the sky, separated by thousands of other twinkling stars. The stars are mirrored in the glowing phosphorescences scudding and swirling along in our foamy wake. Tiny pinpricks and globules as large as golf balls! Thrilling viewing. We sit staring, mesmerized by both night-sea and -sky.

April 29
Sudden wind change during my watch at 0130, and an accidental gybe .. Jim comes up on deck, notices Wendy Windvane (our Cape Horn steering gear) is askew. We dismantle her and hove to for the night. This isn't all bad as we can both sleep! At 0400 we get up to check our position - we've drifted north. We un-hove to, tack, then hove to on the other side, and go back to bed. Jim rises early to fix Wendy. By the time she's back in working order, we've drifted back south - pretty much back to where we were when she went on the blink. Not bad!

Terns fly over to have a better look at us. Guess they aren't used to seeing many Sonsie's in these parts. We haven't seen any boats nor any aircraft. It's astounding to be on this huge ocean with nary another soul!

In the afternoon the most humongous arc of a rainbow graces the sky. Sonsie cheerfully skims the blue waves toward it. It's supernatural. I feel like I'm immersed in a poem. Being Pisces, I cry with joy :) Such a beautiful scene to behold, as if our Creator, with open palm and sweeping arm, is showing us his sublime creation.

April 30

Seas are getting calmer and the winds lighter. We shake out all reefs, sailing 5 knots close-hauled under full main and genoa in 10 knots of wind. We hove to once daily to do a deck walk round and attend to any quick repairs. Jim is struggling to get the starboard running light to work consistently. It's also when I open the galley seacock to do the dishes and drain the sink. Today, it's so muggy, I dip in the sea, holding onto the swim ladder as even a calm Pacific is a mighty Ocean with current and waves...