Picture: Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake.)

Day 14 position at noon: 48 54.59'N; 165 21.57'E Noon to noon miles: 85 Miles since Mexico: 22,496.

Weather: Cloudy and cool, but warmer (56 F or 13 C). Morning: Wind - South southwest 3-5 knots. Boat speed: 1-2 knots Afternoon: Wind - South southwest 4-6 knots. Boat speed: with motor 4 - 4.5 knots Evening: Wind - South southwest 8-9 knots. Boat speed: 4.0 - 4.8 knots

Breakfast: Oatmeal, dried fruit, coconut power, cashews, brown sugar. Lunch: Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake consisting of cabbage, onion, pancake powder, cheese and bacon) with tomato and green soybeans. Dinner: Quinoa, black bean, bacon and cheese. Salad (carrots, cabbage, bell pepper) with basil & cheese dressing. Dessert: Chocolate mint candy (two small pieces per person). Drink: Coffee, hot and cold water, wheatgrass-lemon-honey water, hot coconut milk with vanilla and honey. Snack: Whole wheat crackers, peanut butter, dried fish and squid, granola bar, peanuts and Japanese crunchy bars.

Besides Yoga, cooking and nutrition are my passion. On our South Pacific Ocean crossing, there was little to do because the trade winds took us across without any hassles. We even used the wind vane steering so we conserved battery power as we did not have to use the autopilot. When we were at sea, everyday was the same except what I cooked. Since I had free time, I wrote about food and recipes. Ted was wondering why I did not write about food and recipes this time. The reason is because this passage is so stressful; worrying about fuel consumption, storms, lack of wind, cold, condensation in the boat and so forth. Also, we have had to tack a lot to catch the wind and travel many extra miles in the wrong direction. Very stressful when all I want to do is go home! Now that we are on course and moving slowly and continuously, I can write something other than wind direction and speed.

We had okonomiyaki for lunch today and it was so tasty. Okonomiyaki is one of our favorite Japanese foods and it is one of the easiest meals to prepare. The ones we had in Onomichi were the best; it is a specialty of the city. It is pancake mix with vegetables, eggs, water and a few slices of bacon. Sometimes I use straight eggs without any pancake mix but the ones I made today had the Japanese pancake mix. I am terrible at following recipes because I inevitably add my own ingredients that I have on hand. This time I added some grated cheese which needs to be eaten. Before serving, a special Japanese Okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise are laced on top of the pancake. I only use a small amount of sauce and mayonnaise because I do not like them to dominate the natural taste of the vegetable and other ingredients.

We are anxious to go home to America but at the same time, we definitely miss Japan for its rich culture, genuine people, magnificent scenery and the delectable food! We were in Japan for almost a year and noticed that in general, the overall population are quite trim, almost no obesity. I wondered why and I think I finally figured it out. It could be the lifestyle such as exercise but more importantly, I think it is diet. For example, meat in Japan is not as fatty as in America or Australia. When I make chicken stew in America for example, I have to drain the fat off otherwise it would be too fattening; whereas with Japanese chicken there is very little fat so I can use the skin and all. The beef in Japan is out of this world! It is flavorful, tender and less fat. The fat in their free range beef is soft instead of hard and seems much more soluble in water; for example, there is no residue of grease on the pan or dishes afterwards. In their daily diet, Japanese also consume a large quality of seafood, including seaweed, and soy products, which are very healthy with high protein and few calories.

Another factor is the size of portion served at the table and the size of the packages in stores. In Australia and America, meat is in huge packages. Barbecue steaks are enormous. Japanese people use thin slices of meat for barbecue, stir fry and/or hotpot, so the meals are supplements with other food such as fresh and pickled vegetables, seaweed, rice and so forth. During this sea voyage, I appreciate the groceries that I bought from Japan. They are high quality and compatible with my cooking style. Even though it seems like we eat a great deal of food (variety) each day I am mindful of the quantity of each item. I put out the snacks for Ted while he is on night watch. Yes, food is rationed so that we have enough for whole voyage. Moreover, we will not over eat. In a confined space with limited activities it is easy to over eat.

Back to sailing - it is foggy and cloudy today so the dream of being in the tropics has vanished and we are now in the northern ocean, where everything is monochromatic, gray. Even though the wind is low we could not use the spinnaker again today because it is continually changing speed and the spinnaker is only suitable for relatively constant wind speed from behind or close to behind. We ran the motor for a few hours and sailed at a slow pace. One advantage of having low wind; the sea is flat and calm so the ride is comfortable. Before sunset, the wind increased from 7 to 9 knots and we were able to sail all through the night. Shhh - we are still sailing at the rate of 4 to 5 knots. I do not want the wind to hear us in case it might drop.

We still have the radio net with S/V "Liv" twice a day. Although sometimes we have difficulty receiving them clearly and vis versa. Nevertheless, it is good to have support from the group. It is isolated in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean. Our only company is the birds. They fly very close to the water so they must be surviving on fish or something and they roost on the water too. They were still with us even after last week's raging storm. We saw couple of harbor seals the first day we were out and yesterday a group of dolphins swam with us for a little while. They are always a charm.