25th May 2013 Galapagos to Marqueses 06 14 S 120 29W Day 11.

We are now well into the second half of the passage. After a good couple of catches the fishing has not been good the last 3 days so have had to resort to meat out of the freezer for dinner. Maybe today is fish day again. We seem to find plenty to do each day apart from looking hopefully at the fishing lines. The day starts with the Southern Cross Net on SSB then breakfast, I make bread every 3 days, everyday I sort and turn the fresh veges....those that are left. The bananas all ripened at once but we have two papaya that don't seem to want to colour up. We still have some tomatoes and a few bits and pieces but its nearly time to delve into the lockers. There is also cleaning and laundry, water making, clearing the decks of flying fish, untangling fishing lines and afternoon sleeps. The nights are pretty routine, 3 hour shifts looking out for boats, of which there has been none since day 3, as well as admiring the night sky and sending emails.

I have just got around to finding BBC and Radio NZ on the SSB so now we have radio to listen to in the afternoon. Did you know that India has had a movie industry for 100 years? The Southern Cross Net, which we help to run, has now got about 16 boats, spread from Galapagos to Fatu Hiva. Boats check in every morning with their positions, report on weather and their wellbeing. There has been drama with two yachts having rigging issues another with auto pilot and battery problems. One yacht has lost their inner shrouds (stays) and another yacht close by with a rigger on board was setting off to meet up and perhaps transfer some fuel. That yacht then reported the next day that they had lost their forestay so could not do the fuel delivery. The rigger then went up his mast and fixed the problem , he got "a bit beaten up" swinging around in the swell, but they are now sailing happily the last 300 odd miles to Fatu Hiva. So all this drama has keep everyone interested and ideas are flowing thick and fast as to how to stabilise a mast with no inner shrouds without going up the mast. In the meantime the skipper has rigged up some sails and is hoping there is enough fuel in the tank for the last 500 miles. This 3000 mile passage is a test of patience, preparation, preparedness, depth of the tool kit, range of spares and ingenuity as well as good will of other cruisers nearby. The weather is good, nice sailing but its a long way to go before expert help is available. Time to check if dinner has been hooked yet.