present position 13deg 41.6' N, 178deg 35.7' W, COG 065, SOG 4.2kts

estimated position in 24hrs 14deg 29.5'N 176deg 59.4' W

baro 29.77, 24 hr range 29.71 - .80

wind ENE 17-23kts, 24 hr range 17-26

seas 4m short period

cloud cover 20% cumulus

summary: Keeping up with fuel plan. Trade winds constant. Yesterday distance 113nm, average speed 4.7 kts at 1770 rpm with fuel consumption 2.8g/h

Should anyone feel sympathy for us after our constant complaining, remember this: The conditions we are bemoaning are routine trade winds which have been used by square riggers and before them Polynesians who routinely navigated hundreds of miles of open ocean depending on swell and wind direction and stars. Did we expect a mill pond? One should also take note that the vast majority of small boats crossing oceans are sailboats. Sailors use a novel tactic by which they travel where the wind takes them, from East to West in these parts. We, in contrast, with the help of our trusty Duck and Deere can claw our way from West to East but at the expense of having our martinis shaken, not stirred. So all things considered we are happy if we make 100nm/d and burn less than 3g/h. Sometimes we even get a boost. This morning on Wade's watch, he averaged over 6 kts/h and we noticed that as far North as we have travelled, the current had shifted in the direction we were travelling (for only 2 hours or so) We have a transducer under the boat which measures our speed through the water and we compare it to our GPS reading of speed over ground and our electronics calculates the direction and speed of the current, the set and drift . Think walking the same pace on an airport moving sidewalk with and then against its direction of movement. As current decreases as we head further North, our SOG will increase. And as for those smug sailors, we will get our revenge as we travel through the Pacific high from Hawaii to Seattle. They have to travel far North to get a favorable wind to reach the West coast and we can cruise through the doldrums enjoying windless conditions and calm seas. (we hope!!)

Tomorrow I will describe some of the systems we have at the ready should the weather really turn bad. I'm not known as "Safety Suzie" by my irreverrent kids for nothing. (some of that has to do with their perception of my driving speed, which may have something to do with my choice of marine transport)