Day 9. Our current position at 2000 local is 01 32s.1, 172 06.7E. We are poised to arrive Tawara on Saturday, but it involves using the engine since the wind is so light. We have been happily drifting along at 2.5 knots, but Majuro is still a long way, and we would like to stop in Tarawa for fuel. So, we will stop. The wind is just very changeable and light, and after a few days break, it should become a little more, shall we say, coherent.

We will then celebrate the wedding anniversary in Tarawa with Philip! He will arrive Saturday as well, and he says that he has champagne on board. What a prince!

We had the most amazing experience today. It is a beautiful, very warm, totally cloudless day. The sea is near glassy, like the movie Dead Calm. We have the motor going, (just a little more than an idle) so we can arrive Tarawra Saturday. It is quiet, and Elisabth was napping. I heard a splash and saw out of the corner of my eye something big. Then and other, and another. And then, everywhere off to our left was a big number of dolphins. It must have been over a hundred. All jumping, and right at the boat. I called Elisabeth to come look, and we spent the next half hour or so, on the bow of the boat, away from the engine noise, enjoying these beautiful dolphins, right here next to us in this clear pool of water. Amazing. The large group slowly migrated from our left across to the right while a number just hung out at the bow of the boat for a longer time. Great stuff. Got no photos. Sometimes, the event is more important than the documentation. Sorry. They would have been great.

Otherwise, a bit of a lazy day. I re-strung the ukelele. Did some reading up on our destination. Played with the sails quite a bit. The wind is light, but we can sail it, or at least get drive out of the sails to assist our motoring effort, provided that the wind is from a useable direction. Normally, we would turn to greet the wind with a favorable angle, but we are locked in to the direct course for Tarwara. But the wind direction has changed such that it is just only a few degrees to close to the nose for our heading. Well, with it that close, we cannot resist trying this, trying that, running the sheets for the headsail inboard of the shrouds, etc. The angle is supposed change according to the forecast,so we will wait. We really want to shut that engine off.

We have been notified that a number of you have left comments or sent messages. We cannot read them right now. Our Sailmail HF Radio email service only lets us know that the messages on the blog are there, so when we get internet, we can read them. But believe me, we are touched. It is nice to have you "with us". We really had no idea. It's a cool thing, this Sailblog. They allow us to update the blog by way of an email. Thank you for reading, and now I must go check for fishing traffic. Now that we are getting close to the islands, traffic starts to appear.

Best to you all, Your Friends, Rod and Elisabeth "Your Rock and Roll Argonauts"