Tag: cruising

  • Day 20: Pacific Crossing to Marquesas; Crew Commentary

    View from the Portside Crew Quarters: Wanted: Crew needed for Pacific crossing. Principal duty to stand watch in the middle of the night. Other duties as assigned. Room and board provided. Must play well with others. As we near the Marquesas we’ve spent more time reflecting on the passage behind us and prepping to be…

  • Day 19: Pacific Crossing to Marquesas, French Polynesia

    A tired crew this morning after last night’s squall line that played with us until it finally spit us out around 9am.  Seas calmed, winds calmed, sun out and patchy white clouds on blue sky background.  We are motoring along today on one engine, ensuring fuel conservation. Regarding fuel, we have two 60 gallon tanks…

  • Day 18: Pacific Crossing to French Polynesia

    This morning, continued on our same course, making great progress with winds 15 and 1.5 knots current.  In the afternoon, winds decreased, sailing with our Code 0 and Main, still able to maintain speed above 5 knots with Equatorial Current our friend.  Seas calming, ahhh…feels lovely as we slowly move along.  Emil cleaned the barnacles…

  • Day 17: Pacific Ocean Crossing to French Polynesia

    We have started to see some random flotsam in the water, a plastic bottle here or there, not much thankfully.  Yesterday, I saw it – the glass fishing ball I’ve been seeking…wait, no, that’s not a glass ball, it’s a ship in a bottle…nope, look closer, it’s a massive…lightbulb?!  Must have come off one of…

  • 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 13: Pacific Crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia

    Chris barely touched our sails for the remainder of the night; we are indeed in the Southeast Trade winds, which are unusually high north right now.  We have a joke with the couple helping us with weather that, after the ITCZ, we’ll pop out into the Trades – “Poof!”  It was indeed “poof” – magically…

  • 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…