present position: N 5deg 34.5' E 148deg 02' COG 087deg T, SOG 6.3kts

estimated position 24hrs: N 5deg 44.1' E 150deg 15.9'

baro: 29.74 ranging last 24hrs from 29.65 - 29.74
wind: NE 4kts, in last 2 hrs the wind has dropped below 5kts; past 24hrs though winds were 10-20kts, mostly at the high end and serial squalls
or rain for the last 6hrs
seas: the lack of present wind, and the beating down of the rain have eliminated the surface chop, leaving several 1-2meter swell sets from multiple
directions
clouds:100% low cloud cover and rain



Dorothy:

When I went off watch last night we were getting into a series of squalls. Upon awakening this morning, I find we're under total cloud cover and rain.
It hardly looks like the tropics; more like off Bodega Bay, or David C. says Long Island. Under this cloud, or inside this system, the wind is almost non-existent,
and the rain tends to beat down the surface, so our ride at this point is really rather comfortable. We still have the p-vane fish in because: 1) we're pussies and dont
want to go out on deck in the rain for long enough to get them aboard, and 2) Capt David has become convinced if we take them out of the water, the wind will
come back up. So we're doing a respectable low 6kts for speed and able to move around like something other than old, crippled drunks.

You may notice that we've adjusted our COG (Course Over Ground) from 090 (directly eastward) to 087 (eastward, slightly to the north). This adjustment is/was
initially to jog around a pair of sea mounts which rise up rapidly from 14,000ft of water to 30ft.
Part of me would so love to dive this place ... but I'm not going to because:1) we wont be there until after dark and 2) I really don't want to end up as a meal
for a mako or tiger... shark, that is... big teeth, bad attitude. In setting up the jog around the sea mounts I noted that that same 087 course line joins up with
a waypoint we'd setup ahead which leads directly to Pohnpei. So, I can say we're on our final COG towards Pohnpei and even more interesting (in an almost anything is interesting
at this point of ennui kind of way) we have made our first definite turn to the north since Hong Kong; and it is in that general direction Shearwater will continue until Seattle.

Another sign of progress (be it ever so slow); we will break 600 nm to Pohnpei during my upcoming shift.