Wind: 6–28 knots
Swell: 2–3 meters, steep
Boat Speed: 5–7 ± knots
Weather: Sunny with clouds and squalls
Sails: Two reefs in the jib and two reefs in the mainsail
It's been a frenetic day of sailing. We've gone from several squalls and sharp, steep waves to long, low rollers. We haven't had to turn on the engine—at least not until now—but we've stayed busy furling the jib, unfurling it, and constantly tweaking the mainsail.
The squalls started during the night. There wasn't much rain in them, mostly just bursts of wind or, oddly enough, complete wind vacuums. It's all curious to me. I do know one thing—Tess is having fun trimming the sails to keep us cruising above 6 knots. I know because I tried to take a nap, and when the electric winch starts furling the jib, it feels like it's operating right above my ear.
But that's just life aboard right now.
Last night was spectacular. Bright stars stretched across the sky beneath a half moon, making for one of those unforgettable nights at sea. My guess yesterday was accurate—we covered exactly 150 nautical miles from yesterday at noon until today.
The latest forecast shows Hurricane Fausto weakening into a tropical storm before reaching Hawaii. That's fantastic news for everyone in its path.
It seems like our sea legs are adjusting. It was a rough few days to start with our bodies ping ponging off walls.
Mark made blueberry pancakes with Spam "bacon" for brunch. The Spam was a gift from Cosette, and Mark was absolutely thrilled about it.
The Pacific remains blue, blue, blue, but wildlife has been surprisingly scarce. We spotted a tropical seabird yesterday and what may have been a booby this morning, but there have been plenty of flying fish skimming across the waves.
As I'm writing this, another squall has stolen our wind completely, leaving us well off course. We've decided to roll in the jib, start the engine, charge the batteries, and get ourselves pointed in the right direction again.
Tonight's dinner is ribs and salad. We've been savoring every fresh vegetable we have left, and I'm hoping we can stretch them for another week before they finally run out.