Woke up to rain, rain, and more rain; so refreshing! All of us in the cockpit (inside the boat is too stuffy with hatches closed) getting misted. Motor-sailing south through the band of clouds at the top of the ITCZ. The mantra has been “go south” to reach the winds and avoid some areas of increased squall activity.
“Oh, shoot,” Calder declared at the helm, “Our current course doesn’t hit land until Antarctica.” Jamie and Behan, the folks helping us with weather, assure us they will help us get us to a warmer destination!
The boat is SO dirty! The humidity creates a sheen on everything, our barefeet sticking and sliding on the wood floors. The floors are covered with food bits, hair, dirt, dust, salt water, fresh water. The orange juice attacked me today with beam-on seas, breaking open on the galley floor. The idea of getting down on my hands and knees to scrub the floors is NOT happening. I’m hopeful for a bit of calm to clean things up.
We spent the day weaving around rain squalls, lots of misting and drizzles. Chris and Emil had some more quality time fixing the genoa furler. As the seas and winds continued to decrease, we changed out our sails and finally started motoring. Then the seas and swells seemed to come from all directions, slowly calming. It is quite comfortable. We have reached the “doldrums” and will motor through to find the Southern Trades that will take us to the islands. Dinner tonight was wahoo ceviche.
On Cora and my watch, a huge squall developed off our starboard side, which we were able to avoid. There was also the light of a fishing boat in the distance that moved further away. Winds increased from 2 knots up to 12 knots…could this be the start of the Southern Trades already? On the next shift, Emil and Calder, winds continued to build from the SE and by 4am we were sailing. We had expected to be in “Stage 3” of this voyage, the ITCZ, for at least a few days. Could we have reached the Southern Trades already?! Could we be in the final Stage 4 of this voyage?
Total miles over the last 24 hours: 120 nm
Average speed in last 24 hours: 5 knots
Total miles of trip so far: 1,506 nm (we hit our 1,500 point!)
p.s. John, in answer to your question, Calder’s wahoo was 43 pounds.
SV Terikah Adventures 
3 responses to “Day 12: Pacific Crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia”
this keeps coming to me as I follow your voyage!
“Psalm 107:23 Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, 24 They see the works of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep. 25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26 They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And are at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses. 29 He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still. 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet;
So He guides them to their desired haven. 31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!”
God be with you! Butch
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Hi guys,
What a trip! We check on your progress when we get up, during the day and before bed and look forward to the now daily blogs. 12-15 foot seas, 42 pound wahoo, totality of the eclipse, dodging thunderstorms in the ITCZ! Wow! More than half way to the Marquesas. Hope you pick up those southern trade winds soon.
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Thank you Jen. As always your writing puts us right there in your boat. The Psalm from Butch is so apt! Like Al and Jeanie we are constantly watching the migration of the red dot. It’s so great to hear the details, feel the sticky floor, the frustration of the genao. Too bad we can’t really taste the wahoo! Continued Journeying Mercies and love.
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