Only 6 days at sea and the crew are already getting restless. Maybe it's the heat, maybe not enough shore leave in French Polynesia? Whatever the reason it's time to lock up the rum and sidearms...

The sailing has actually been kind of pleasant. Mostly 10-15 kts, mostly favorable directions and slight seas. Did I mention it's quite warm? Also, the last 2 days we had an unfortunate NE wind and west setting current which thwarted our efforts to sail NE, but that is swinging East and the forecast promises SE for the next 2 days which should help us regain our easting. This is important because the NE trade winds north of the equator can be either a rough challenge or sleigh ride depending on the relevant sailing angles to Hawaii, which are determined by the longitude in which we cross the equator. Since that leg to Hawaii could take about 10 days sail, choosing the right crossing point can have a big impact on our quality of life for a week and a half or so....

Last night the autopilot had a brain fart and refused to operate in 2 out of 3 possible modes. Fortunately, we managed along over night on the remaining wind vane mode then got it working again in the morning with a complete system reboot. Whew! It's actually kind of impressive that our electronics can run the boat for weeks at a time without fail (rarely) or interruption. Big shout out to Raymarine for their electronics suite. This would be a whole different experience without an autopilot and everyone hand steering... I'm pretty sure there would be a mutiny then.

Wendy is reading voraciously, working puzzles and continues to impress with her culinary creativity, even absent any fresh veggies. Gavin is also reading a lot and is looking forward to the waves and wahine of Hawaii. I am arranging boat parts deliveries and making plans for my repair list when we hit civilization. For now, all is well aboard Bangorang.