The last week was the most uncomfortable with following seas and a wild roll. We had to be extremely careful not to get thrown and hurt. Going on deck was the most challenging but by the third week we had learned most of the moves to get on and off the bow without losing a hand hold. One hand for the boat�....

My expectations from a former circumnavigator were unmet as he set his spinnaker and didn't change it for two weeks on this same passage. It seems we were changing our sail configuration and set almost every day. Spinnaker up, spinnaker down, poles up, poles down, mainsail out, mainsail reefed etc. Most of the time we adjusted our sails to the wind at dawn and the rest of the day was spent making sure we minimized chafe and avoided injury.

The world became very small and we received almost no word from the outside during the passage. Time was spent in the present and this was very pleasant. My blood pressure dropped 20 mm Hg literally and I may be able to get off some of my antihypertensive medicine. I found myself able to listen to and hear music for the first time in many years. I was even singing and humming along to music that was very nostalgic. I spent a great deal of time thinking about my dad and the many sailing experiences we shared. I also had the opportunity to ponder my life. I feel extremely fortunate for many of my life experiences and very foolish about some of the not so good choices I've made along the way. When you are way out there it's easy to ponder.

Neither Nancy nor I was bored until perhaps the last few days and even then it was probably because of the boat motion that we wanted the trip to be finally over. Fortunately the weather was kind so that we had 20 knots of wind those last several days.

I spent a lot of time trimming sails to get the most speed out of them and to protect them from slapping around and chafing. We did quite well and made up time on most of the fleet finishing a day earlier than the boats that left with us.

The first Pacific landfall we experience was magnificent and majestic. The size of the mountains was double or triple the scale of what we have experienced in the past. The terrain was spectacular layered with complex shadows and gradients and it loomed up on us unexpectedly so it caught us by surprise at sunrise.

We did get our sea legs as expected after a few days and did move into a routine but the routine was more demanding at times than I expected. Most of our anxiety disappeared shortly after we left the Galapagos. My greatest fear was of boat malfunctions but we had few and none were critical or crucial. Despite our best efforts after arrival we discovered several lines were chafed and in need of replacement. There was less sleep and more audio books than anticipated. The books were great and time flew by as we listened to Ludlum, DeMille, and Le Carre especially on long night watches.

I did no celestial navigation, although I have everything on board for it and surprisingly did little star gazing even though the night sky was easily visible for the majority of the trip.

Nancy adapted well and was wonderful crew. She was able to cook on quiet days and was helpful whenever necessary. We never felt cramped nor claustrophobic.

Captain Ron