Day 3: Passage from Fiji to New Cal

Continued rain squalls on and off this morning. Winds have decreased to 17-23 and we’re cruising along at 7-8 knots. We have to maintain an average of 6.7 knots to get to Havannah Channel at slack tide, a narrow coral-strewn channel that can have standing waves and fast currents if timed incorrectly. Seas currently down a bit to 2-2.5 meters. We continue to move along at a decent pace. We’d like to use our Code Zero, but it will be a beast to take out and unravel to fix with these winds (and dangerous too, as it is massive). So we continue to use our genoa and make progress. Everyone fends for themselves for breakfast and lunch, eating what sounds good. Then I make dinner for everyone, tonight is fried rice. Last night was a mild chicken curry that I had made ahead of the passage. We’ve been enjoying the pumpkin muffins Cora made. I feel very tired on this passage, taking frequent naps, more than on other passages.

Beeping! Something’s beeping! We all start looking around for where the alarm is coming from. The VHF? No position or time registering? Hmmm, this is not good, as it’s not only a communication device, but also tied to our AIS. AIS (Automatic Identification System) is a marine tracking system that automatically transmits and receives a vessel’s position, speed, and course to improve safety and collision avoidance at sea. Some researching and crawling up on our moving nav station, Chris got it back; seems there is a loose connection there that will have to be sleuthed out further in calm seas.

The winds start to decrease and we slow down…too slow to get to our destination in time. This is perfect “Code Zero” sailing, but ours is out of commission still and tricky to get out with winds blowing it around. As the seas calmed, we decided to look at the sail closer. A plan was hatched and up she went safely and uneventfully. Ahhh…sailing along in 15 knots of wind, seas calming. This is the life. Kept the Code Zero up overnight throughout my watch, lovely sail. Calder had a motor-sailing passage. Chris is just finishing his motoring passage. Minimal wind and have to get to our destination by 7am tomorrow to make the pass in between the coral.

Last 24 hours:  164.3 miles with average speed of 6.8 knots