local 0650
270nm from Fanning 790nm from Honolulu
All is well as we sail north into the cooler weather. The sun is rising through a cloudy sky right now and everyone is sleeping. The nights are just cool enough finally that you need a sheet, at least near you. Our wind has been favorable (from the southeast 14 to 18-knots) and we have been averaging between 7 and 8-knots and sometimes hitting 11 or 12 as we come down the front side of a wave. Sometime today or tomorrow the wind should back and we will be close-hauled again.
We are double-reefed with full jib. Yesterday Liz and Colin went forward to shake a reef, but by the time they did a squall hit and the reef was back in. The squalls are littering the sky now, sometimes passing behind us and sometimes giving us a good dousing. Pretty soon we should also be out of squall territory as we head into the northeast trade winds.
My friends Karen Prioleau and Barbara Marrett are sailing Orange Coast College's Alaska Eagle (which I sometimes teach on) south from Honolulu to Fanning Island right now with an all women training crew. They were scheduled to depart the same day we did from Fanning, and hope to pass nearby tonight or tomorrow and at least say hi on the radio.
update:
local 2100
N09 39 W157 27
The wind was mellow all day today, but enough to move along at 6-knots. We were joined by a huge pod of cavorting dolphins who rode our bow wave and leaped and jumped around the boat for about a half-hour..
We are crossing tonight into latitudes where hurricanes have historically passed in July (although not super common) so we are making sure to get updated weather information with any suspicious low pressures. Everything is looking good for us, with no depressions forming anywhere and the trades blowing consistently. ETA for Honolulu: Saturday.
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