April 7, 2006, 1013nm done, about 1900 to go, 166nm noon-noon
Since we're in middle of nowhere you would expect that we're pretty alone out here, right? Well, in a way we are. We haven't seen another ship, pleasure or commercial, for days. But our long range radio is alive with chatter. Each morning we check into a cruisers "net" where we report our position and weather conditions. Boats from Mexico and deep into the pacific report in. After our report the net controller asks if there is "traffic for Salacia." Many of the friends we met over the winter take the opportunity to call us and say "hi." Just yesterday we heard from Rocket, In the Mood, Petrel, Western Grace, Po ino Roa, Royal Treat, and Ohana Kai. It's a great feeling to talk to friends who are halfway across the ocean and sure makes it feel like a small world.
The weather the last 24 hours has gotten better for us. The wind continues to be about 20 knots from the NE. Since it's been blowing from this direction for quite a while now the seas have really settled down and that means that life on the boat is more comfortable. We've got our regular jib back up and a single reefed main. We're barreling along at 7-8 knots. The strange thing is that we seem to have .5knots of current against us. I would expect the current to be us by now.
April 6, 2006, 870 Miles from PV, 2000 miles to go, 172 miles noon to noon
Another posting to the website must mean that we're still alive. Unless... these have all been pre-scripted and are being sent by someone else... Nope, it's live folks!
The last 24 hours have been very windy and rough. Yesterday the wind started coming up and blew NE20-25 for most of the day. In the evening it got noticeably colder, cloudier, and the barometer dropped. Hmmm, I guess weather is coming. Early in the evening the wind increased to NE25-33 and stayed there all night. The seas got pretty big and confused with the wind from the NE and the old swell from the NW. Being on board was like a bad fair ride. Unfortunately, cooking was off the agenda so cold pop tarts, fruit, and granola bars were dinner. Not that we were that hungry anyway. We were both wondering how bad it was going to get.
In the end, the wind stayed strong but the longer it blew the more organized the seas became. That's a good thing. Seas are very steep and close together as the wind increases but once it blows steady they spread out and become more regular. Both of us even got a few hours of sleep as we got used to the motion. Dee is down again right now for her afternoon nap.
The wind is now about NE18-25 and has been that way all day. The waves are mostly on our beam right now but there are no breakers anymore, so we're just rolling quite a bit. We talked to a boat a few hundred miles ahead of us and they have the same so it look like it'll be rolly for a while yet. You can thank a California low pressure system for this one.
We're using a double reefed main and a staysail and averaging 7 knots. Not to bad for tiny sails. We did try other sail combinations but with any more canvas we pick up too much speed and round up into the wind as we get slapped around by the waves.
April 5, 2006, 700 miles out from PV
Well, there is no doubt about it, we have hit the trades - and they are blowing! We've got NNE 20-30 and .5 knot of positive current. Boat speed is over 8 knots and that's with a small jib and double reefed main. Any more sail and she gets squirrley. The seas are about 5+ and confused. It's pretty rocky in the boat. We're hoping that the seas settle a bit as we get further into the steady wind.
No boats sighted for a couple of days now. Sleeping is OK, as we're getting into out rhythm. The funniest thing today - a boobie landed on the top of the mast. He was determined to hang on but could only enjoy the ride for a few minutes until he was thrown off.
Got to go, more later. BTW, don't get concerned if we don't update everyday. The radio connection out here is pretty weak sometimes. When crossing an ocean, no news is good news!
April 4, 2006, In Transit to Hawaii
In general, the wind continues to be N12-18 knots. Yesterday it swung to the NE and I thought maybe we were hitting the trades early. But instead, it died completely for a while. Do you remember what a great light air patient sailor I am? Not! About that time I was sleep deprived and didn't want to try to sail while rolling around in 4 knots of wind. I headed to bed and let Dee sail the ship. She did a great job and when I woke up the wind had come up and we were sailing along nicely! The seas are also quite smooth now so the comfort level is way up!
Overnight, the wind continued from the N and is still there now. 149 miles noon to noon. Not much else to report other than flying fish and squid on deck. Not much traffic.
It may sound boring, but it's not - yet. We read quite a bit, nap whenever off watch, and I'm listening to an audio book about Magellan's circumnavigation. We've still got lots of fresh meat on board but as soon as that starts getting thin I'll break out the fishing rod.
April 3, 2006, Day Three enroute to Hawaii
Well, we're actually crossing the Pacific Ocean in a little sailboat. I can hardly believe I am doing this, being the cautious person that I am. Perhaps I'm in a state of shock, but the trip has been good so far. Plus, we are zipping along. I have made friends with the big blue ocean, but I hope to set foot on solid ground in less than three weeks, as opposed to four!
We're settling into a 24 hour routine. One of us is always on watch, sailing Salacia and looking out for other boats. I had feared that lack of sleep would be a problem, especially for Mark. However, Mark is getting enough rest and my napping skills now rival my cat's. I have no idea how much sleep we're getting because it's in small segments, with the longest off-watch break being four hours. The key to rest is nuzzling up in the aft cabin - I bet Steve and James knew this all along! Mark and I take turns sleeping in this narrow little cabin, where you can wedge in tightly. I'm pleased to avoid the loud noises and rolling motion that accompanied sleeping in the large forward berth. Our crew have had it much better in the back of the boat!
We're getting used to constant motion and functioning at an angle. The motion of the boat forces our muscles to work twenty four hours a day, even sitting and sleeping. The experience is like holding a pilates or yoga position for an undetermined amount of time. We're on port tack so we hold on and walk up a small hill to get to the head and the galley. I strap myself in when using the stove, although I haven't been doing much cooking yet. Assembling a sandwich can be a challenge in itself, with mayonnaise jars and knives flinging when I grab another item from the fridge. Non-skid fabric helps me keep items in place, but there have been several missiles fly off the counter today. I'm glad that we've brought lots of grab and go items - like fruit, nuts, granola bars and Poptarts(Mark's favorite) - to tie us over when cooking isn't possible.
For me, boredom may be the challenge of this passage. I'm happy to spend hours and hours reading, but I feel lonely when Mark is sleeping and I am on deck. This is why having more crew, or even a cat, on board would be advantageous. I'll look forward to that scenario for the next passage, as we have interested crew for this leg.
Mark: The wind has finally started veering to NE. That means that we are starting to enter the trade winds that will carry us to Hawaii. The bad news is that the wind has also dropped from around 20 to about 11 knots of wind. We're still moving at 6 knots but that's way down from 8+ where we were before. Noon to noon run today was 170 miles, about 180 yesterday. The seas are more regular now so the motion on the boat has decreased quite a bit. I guess this is another sign that we're getting to the trades.
