Position 21 17 N 156 43 W
Winds and seas have picked up from the past couple of days to a steady 15kts. We are motor sailing so that we can control our progress to meet a daytime the channel crossing to Oahu during daylight hours.

We awaken to a picture perfect day- clear blue skies with no sign of threatening squalls in any direction- the gently rolling ocean calm and peaceful, as if to say " OK, you've paid you dues...you passed the test...no more surprises on your final day at sea...enjoy!" The temperature: a balmy 82 degrees without the heavy humidity of the past 4-5 days, everyone on deck with a look of anticipation as we begin our final leg of the journey- the islands are just 75 nautical miles in front of us, on a due west course toward Maui. The seas are nearly flat, the tiny waves glistening like diamonds in front of us. The downside to this idyllic picture: NO WIND! We raise the beautiful bright blue spinnaker sail in the hope that the winds will increase in the heat of day to propel us on a rapid downwind course, but it is not to be. The spinnaker flaps and twists in the fickle breeze; with great disappointment we take her down and start the motors.
As we approach 40 nm from our next GPS waypoint near the tip of Maui, Ian shouts "Land ho!" spotting a dark peak of land in the clouds on the western horizon -our first sighting of any land mass in over 2 weeks. We all rush to the front deck, anxious for our first glimpse of the barely visible peak- is it real? YES! The past week has been very quiet, no signs of ships in any direction, either by direct sighting or radar; no activity heard on the VHS radio at all until very suddenly last night, a Honolulu Coast Guard message about a stranded catamaran comes through loud and clear, followed shortly by a Coast Guard security warning about lava flowing into the Pacific Ocean from the Kilauea volcano. We realize that we are truly nearing our destination after 18 long days and nights on a vast and isolated ocean. We hope to reach the eastern border of Maui this evening before sunset, then Diamond head by noon tomorrow. ALOHA!!