2/21 p: 3001S 12638W
Hove to, wrong direction on one tack, too uncomfortable on the other. waiting
for better conditions.
2/22 p: 2941S 12623W
sailing again, after finally receiving GRIP files we are getting a "grip" on
understanding the weather around us. reading "Over the Edge of the World" about
Magellan. lots of good trivia.
2/23 p: 3037S 12637W
light winds H2O temp: 77degr. we're still barefoot 24hrs but no more shorts at
night. very sparce wildlife which bumms me out.
2/24 p: 3231S 12601W
woke up to the first heavy weather on this trip. tricky steering, lots of rain.
2/25 p: 3321S 12456W
dancing tango with a high, 2 steps fwrd, one back. H2O temp: 72 degr. later on
becalmed. got out my shoes.
2/26 p: 3327S 12443W
slow progress S. wheel tied off, housekeeping and fix-it day.
2/27 (it's not noon yet)
woke up to fog all around us. light winds and eerie atmosphere. i think i'm
getting fat... also, since for me the voyage is at least half over (3mo), i am
starting to be slightly overwhelmed with thoughts of returning to SF and what
i'll do and how and will i be happy-er. and i start writing lists and it doesn't
make it better. i know what i want: learn, teach, do, accomplish, love, laugh,
party, dance, smile contently. the details are the problem (and look good, and
have money, have time for my friends...) you see where this goes.... it'll be
nice to actually confer with some of you about this
Left the Tropics
2/13 p:2046S 13819W
after the wind came back we were gliding just with jib top, stays'l & fisherman,
sweet ride all night. rain in the am. today's atoll tureia, just out of sight.
they do, btw, from afar look like tule patches in the delta.
2/14 p:2219S 13716W
descision made: no mangareva and no pitcairn (sorry Brett) the wind's just not
right
2/15 p: 2415S 13614W
big underlying swell from the S, we're clear of tuamotus. H2O temp: 80 degr.
finally caught fish: Wahoo!
2/16 p:2615S 13502W
keep thinking about greece this summer, and frankie and china camp. can't get my
head around Marita or Hudson numbers, it's too far away. but good friends, it
makes me realize how much i miss you guys! lots of scheming in my head...
2/17 p: 2821S 13405W
climate hot summer but air is getting cooler, wahoo ceviche for lunch grilled
medallions for dinner, hmmmm
2/18 p: 2925S 13159W
couldn't sleep well past 2 nights and slept most day today. getting
philosophical about my life when i return...
2/19 p: 2941S 13014W
2 major events: a) we gybed, b) pancakes!
2/20 p: 3034S 12825W
first nightwatch with long pants, H2O temp: 78 degr
overall it feels like the quiete before the storm, everyone is doing chores to
prep the boat for southern ocean and otherwise gets as much sleep as possible.
it's good to have 4th person on board for all the apparent reasons
after the wind came back we were gliding just with jib top, stays'l & fisherman,
sweet ride all night. rain in the am. today's atoll tureia, just out of sight.
they do, btw, from afar look like tule patches in the delta.
2/14 p:2219S 13716W
descision made: no mangareva and no pitcairn (sorry Brett) the wind's just not
right
2/15 p: 2415S 13614W
big underlying swell from the S, we're clear of tuamotus. H2O temp: 80 degr.
finally caught fish: Wahoo!
2/16 p:2615S 13502W
keep thinking about greece this summer, and frankie and china camp. can't get my
head around Marita or Hudson numbers, it's too far away. but good friends, it
makes me realize how much i miss you guys! lots of scheming in my head...
2/17 p: 2821S 13405W
climate hot summer but air is getting cooler, wahoo ceviche for lunch grilled
medallions for dinner, hmmmm
2/18 p: 2925S 13159W
couldn't sleep well past 2 nights and slept most day today. getting
philosophical about my life when i return...
2/19 p: 2941S 13014W
2 major events: a) we gybed, b) pancakes!
2/20 p: 3034S 12825W
first nightwatch with long pants, H2O temp: 78 degr
overall it feels like the quiete before the storm, everyone is doing chores to
prep the boat for southern ocean and otherwise gets as much sleep as possible.
it's good to have 4th person on board for all the apparent reasons
Weekly happenings
today it's one week out of Taiohae Baie in Nukuhiva, here is the weekly
happenings:
2/6 lifted anchor at 0800 and set sails south, motorsailing past Ua Pou's E
point. light wind, rain on the horizon
2/7 Pos: 1012S 14012W
tradewind clouds but not very strong winds, heavier when i was making dinner and
nearly got seasick in the galley, broke out in a sweat and had to come up for
air
2/8 Pos:1220S 14009W
Fried rice for dinner, dodging squalls and staying dry. after a saltwater shower
one is refreshed and clean but just as sticky
2/9 pos 1425S 14009W
the only pelagic life i've seen is one tropic bird. there's toothmarks on H's
lures but no fish
2/10 pos 1619S 14002W
passed Fakahina atoll in the am. loud breakers once we were closer, saw 2
people, a street with lights and an airstrip, all coconut plams for copra.
2/11 pos 1821S13922W
Akiaki atoll in sight at 1320. nice mellow day, abit sadness in that coz my
father dies 7yrs ago, and the knowledge he'd like to be here and somehow he is
2/12 pos1910S 13852S
Aki apparently means fly, and so Akiaki, the name of yesterday's atoll means
many many flies, half of which are still on board. paradise is never perfect.
today becalmed off Nukutavake, swatting flies.
love to all
happenings:
2/6 lifted anchor at 0800 and set sails south, motorsailing past Ua Pou's E
point. light wind, rain on the horizon
2/7 Pos: 1012S 14012W
tradewind clouds but not very strong winds, heavier when i was making dinner and
nearly got seasick in the galley, broke out in a sweat and had to come up for
air
2/8 Pos:1220S 14009W
Fried rice for dinner, dodging squalls and staying dry. after a saltwater shower
one is refreshed and clean but just as sticky
2/9 pos 1425S 14009W
the only pelagic life i've seen is one tropic bird. there's toothmarks on H's
lures but no fish
2/10 pos 1619S 14002W
passed Fakahina atoll in the am. loud breakers once we were closer, saw 2
people, a street with lights and an airstrip, all coconut plams for copra.
2/11 pos 1821S13922W
Akiaki atoll in sight at 1320. nice mellow day, abit sadness in that coz my
father dies 7yrs ago, and the knowledge he'd like to be here and somehow he is
2/12 pos1910S 13852S
Aki apparently means fly, and so Akiaki, the name of yesterday's atoll means
many many flies, half of which are still on board. paradise is never perfect.
today becalmed off Nukutavake, swatting flies.
love to all
soon leaving nuku hiva
Yesterday we went and took on diesel, that was fun, going stern too, with
the anchor dropped out and then having the fuel line come on board etc. it
took quiet awhile. today we gave the propane tanks to be filled. tracy and
i went shopping for provisions and are nearly done except for the fresh
stuff.. htere is some small repairs still to be done, and then as we cross
things off the to do list, new ones appear. yesterday i noticed that the
transom of the zodiak had basically unglued and wsas nearly falling off
under the weight of the outboard. so we asked a lovely neighbor in the
anchorage to give us rides and he agreed.... hte goal is to go from here
to Mangareva, anohter french polynesian island but further east and south,
it's in hte gambier iland group of the tuamotu archipelargo.
from there to pitcairn and then the southern seas...
i have some more polynesian pretty money to spend, since it's not worth
changing it back, and it's not 100% sure htat we'll get to mangareva. i
could totally spend another month or two here, and actually was talking to
the yacht service lady here, htey need sail makers, and next year htey'll
open a yard and htey'd need people there, of course it's mostly plastic
boats that come here, but it would be nice to get a ride as crew on a
Puddle Jumper and then stay here and work and live for a couple of months
and then go back. i'd still like to tackle building a pirogue, all hte
ones they have here are store bought fiberglass, but there is a lot of
nice wood on htis island, they are building houses and powerboats with
local wood, but no "dugouts"....
hmm, i don't really know what else to write... hte next updates will
probably be shorter again because htey go over hte radio and i have no
idea if there will be e-mail in mangareva or pitcairn, so potentially the
next big mails will be from Punta Arenas.
it'll be nice to get away from the mosquitos and no-see-ums, it will also
be nice to be in the tropics for a bit longer, but i already know that in
a months or so it will be cold....
