Tabuaeran II: Bigger and Better

August 5th, 2009 The strong winds and rough seas continued all day with dark overcast skies. However, after many long hours at the helm we began getting a feel for the ocean and we were able to maneuver Rosinante through the swell much better than in days past. We got the hang of bringing the boat up the face of a wave then right at the crest we turned the wheel hard to starboard bringing the boat gently down the other side of the wave. Once we got the hang of smoothing out the ride as best we could, it became a blast to see who could sail the boat the smoothest and find the best path through the confused seas. For the most part of the day the boat stayed at around ten to eleven knots with occasional moments of up to fifteen knots. We ended the day just south of the Big Island. The twenty-five knots of wind continued all night with the north and east swells still mixing together to create a bumpy ride. The good news was that the moon was almost full, which illuminated the ocean just enough to see the waves in order to avoid getting rocked by a big one. Some of the best sailing I ever had came during the first hour of my shift from 12am to 1am. Navigating through the waves by moonlight made every smooth maneuver that much better and it gave me the satisfaction of knowing how much better I had become at sailing Rosinante. It was nice to hear in the morning that Kenny and Riley had the same experience on their shifts and even though it's been a rough passage those nights certainly make up for all the miserable moments and lack of sleep. At this point it looks as though we'll be arriving to Maui in the early afternoon of the seventh, only a day later than we were hoping but still one day better than our passage last year. Also, with news of a hurricane moving toward Hawaii and arriving at the Big Island by Sunday we all can't wait to be off the boat and safe at home. The hurricane will most likely be downgraded to a tropical storm, but after breaking all our reefs, finding almost every line chaffed part way through, and almost losing the skiff, even the smallest storm sounds pretty daunting at this point - dc