Tag: catamaran family

  • Day 16: Pacific Ocean Crossing to French Polynesia

    Morning deck count: 3 flying fish and 1 squid. Continued our progress south, steady winds 14-18 knots.  Our day went by with reading, watch shifts, naps, read alouds, weather checking, cloud watching, cooking, doing dishes, visiting. People have asked me how it “feels” to be out here.  Today I am ready for land…just a moment…

  • Day 15: Pacific Ocean Crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia

    All of us woke a bit late, except for Chris still at the wheel, from our 2am Equator ceremony; he is now thankfully napping in Southern Hemisphere bliss.  Seas a bit on our beam, winds light, we slowly sail along at 4 knots.  We are trying to head more south than west at this point…

  • Day 14: EQUATOR!!!

    Moving along today, first under genoa, then under Code 0; changed our course just 15 degrees to the west.  Skies are blue, sun is hot. I see why this passage is called a marathon.  We are trying to take in every moment, but I’m also excited to stop moving for a second and stand on…

  • 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…

  • 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…