SOUTHERN ROUTE TO HAWAII

Last night was an up and down sort of affair.  The wind was blowing between fifteen and twenty-five knots.  So, one hour we had too much sail and a few minutes later not enough.  We were sailing too fast in the stronger winds and eventually ended up with a double reefed main, staysail and the jib being furled in and out as conditions dictated.  This worked fine and a day later the main still has the double reef in as we are getting occasional gusts to twenty-five knots.

I am still heading in a southerly direction.  Looks like it will take another twenty-four hours before we are clear of this North Westerly flow and can start heading more to the west.  If we turn west too soon I fear we will hit a big calm patch.  So, its circling down to the south, sailing a longer distance and getting there quicker – that’s the plan.

Today’s highlight was finding a bag of dark chocolate raisins – my favourite.  I had forgotten I bought them.  I will try and ration them out but don’t expect they will last too long.  Anyway, they must go before we hit the warm weather otherwise they will melt.

Taking about weather, last night was freezing cold.  My thermometer said it was fourteen degrees but it felt like four.  I dug my thermals out of the locker where they were stored after being laundered at Brisbane Marina – didn’t think I would need them again this voyage.  I was seduced by the warm San Francisco Bay weather, forgetting outside the bridge its back to the real world of the North Pacific.  Voyage distance 180 miles.