Bora Bora to Hawaii, Day 9 (?)
09 June 2016
Colin
Another beautiful day as we proceed north. Our next challenge is to cross Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) which is a band of weather that lies somewhere between 5 and 10 degrees N. This is where the SE trades from the southern hemisphere converge with the NE trades from the north. Although the winds here are typically light (doldrums) the area can be especially active with squalls that pop up and dissipate without warning. For some reason they are particularly active at night. We are now trying to get into position below the ITCZ in order to make a quick dash north through it with the aid of a local north bound current just to the east of us. It should take no more than 2 days to cross. After the ITCZ we should encounter the NE trades which are currently forecast as fresh (20+ kts) and coming from almost due east. Although a little stronger than I'd like, the angles are good for the 1000 mile dash NNW up to Hawaii. This leg could be fast if the seas aren't too big and we don't break anything... I think we are looking at about another 10 days to complete our passage to Honolulu. There's a whole lotta blue out here, looking forward to the green headlands of Hawaii. Oh, and a pizza! Otherwise, all is well aboard Bangorang.