Category: Uncategorized

  • Day 12: Pacific Crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia

    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…

  • Day 11: Pacific Crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia (half way!)

    We continue on the same course from the last few days, quite cloudy all around, will need to start the generator to charge our batteries without the sun.  We are still experiencing some wind (15-20 knots) and have our Code Zero up, as we approach the ITCZ. This morning I lost rock-paper-scissors and had to…

  • Day 10: Pacific Crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia

    So thankful the seas are more reasonable throughout the day.  We are trying to make our way south into the ITCZ at an area with fewer squalls.  Seas are behind us and on our beam today, rolling us as we go along, and we are hitting some currents; making for a slower day. Emil, crew…

  • Day 9: Pacific Crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia

    Last night’s passage and today are the biggest seas that we’ve ever been in, Chris and I staying up all night together to keep the waves coming from behind us and the sail trimmed.  Winds reached 30 knots.  Seas were 12-15 feet high and only 5-6 seconds apart, coming at us from two different directions;…

  • Day 8: Crossing from MX to FP

    The seas and wind decreased a bit overnight, making my morning watch (5-9am) enjoyable as the sun came up.  Flying fish in all directions, trying to outfly/outswim the boobie birds who circle our boat.  Birds always seem very curious about us, sometimes landing on us (a place to rest?), other times circling around us (perhaps…

  • Day 7 of Crossing from MX to FP

    We will have another 36 hours or so of these bigger seas and continue our way SW, trying to keep the seas behind us, though they are coming from three different directions.  Seas still about 6-9 feet and steep.  I was a bit green last night, but doing better this morning.  We are paralleling the…

  • April 5: Day 6 of Crossing from MX to FP

    Woke up to light winds, motored for two more hours until I did a wind dance, resulting in the wind slowly increasing until we could sail.  Okay, so likely not my dance, but still the timing was great.  Great brunch of burritos from Emil.  Put the asym out and have been sailing happily downwind.  Captain…

  • Day 5: Crossing from MX to FP

    Woke up after a great night’s sleep of calm Code 0 sailing at only 2-4 knots overnight.  We hit our 500 miles overnight and celebrated this morning by opening our 500-mile treat bag titled “Out of the Wash Machine.”  Listened to the song “I Would Walk 500 Miles” but changed to “I Would Sail 500…

  • Day 4: Passage from MX to FP

    All of us a bit “drained” after our rolly night, enjoyed a hearty breakfast of eggs and potatoes.  Captain down to take a nap; we are trying our best to conserve his energy for more squirrely times when he is truly needed at the wheel.  He is the best active sailor of all of us. …

  • Day 3: Passage from MX to FP

    What a difference a few hours make.  I left my night shift with only 8 knots of wind, boat going 3.7.  I woke up at 8am with up to 20 knot gusts and the boat moving along at 6-8 knots.  Seas VERY lumpy; combo of wind waves and swells.  No seasickness yet, but we’re not…