Hello Everyone,
Just wanted to give a quick update. We are all good on board and are cruising along at a pace of 7-8 knots. We are on course with the marquesas and are heading directly there... taking into account the current. We are hoping to be able to say "LAND HO" on Thursday 4/19 in the am... we are all so excited and are making plans on how to start enjoying being on land again... The town is a little village that is an hours walk down this path... you go straight and then either turn left to town, right takes you to the airport... or straight takes you to a ranch/farm that sells fresh fruit... decisions, decisions, decisions...
We are currently at 5.52S and 136.23N. We were having some issues with our generator, but we feel that we may have fixed that so we are crossing our fingers that it stays that way... otherwise it may delay our departure from the first bay we arrive in for a little while. There are so many beautiful places to go see that we are anxious to get checked in, provisioned, fueled up and off to some remote pristine, white sand, turquoise water beach. I am hoping that before we venture off we will be able to go on a horseback ride up mountains, swim in a fresh waterfall, hire a guide to take us their famous archeological site... etc.. Whoopee! Again, did I say that we are all excited to see land.
Today has been a fairly nice day... the seas had calmed down for most of the day which made it a very comfortable fast ride. We are still sporting a double reefed main and jib, but it doesn't seem to matter with the wind that we have... we keep having to slow the boat down... it just gets to uncomfortable. I was actually able to do my first load of laundry today... It was actually quite easy and I did it in the kitchen where I could boil the water and pour it into my fancy little washing machine... Loving fresh smelling clothes... now if I could only get them dry. It seems more of a challenge than I was anticipating... I thought I could hang them under the bimini.. with the wind at 20MPH they should air dry in now time... right? UGH>>.. not so much... 2 hours later still damp because of all the moisture in the air... Maybe if we don't hit any squalls tonight they may dry tomorrow.. Anyway it gave me something to do.
The kids and I were talking about how week we feel. Since all we have been doing is sitting or lying down for the last 2 1/2 weeks it is funny how slothish you feel... We are looking forward to going for a walk that is longer than 10 steps in either direction. Everyone is in good spirits with anticipation for getting there. We are a little barn sour and may be cruising a little faster than what is typically comfortable for us... but for now is say, Giddy Up Little Doggy!
Hugs and love to everyone,
Heath
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Family Circus
Wild Oaks Family Farm, Shenandoah Valley, Plymouth, CA
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Monday, April 6, 2015
Happy Easter, Happy Anniversary.... and happy crossing the equator...
Hello Everyone,
Well we have had quite a few things to celebrate over the last few days... at least we can say it is not so boring and gives us a challenge every day. I want to say Happy Easter to everyone and I hope you got to spend time celebrating with family and loved ones. We had a great day of sailing in clear blue skies, spending close time with all of our children (except Kava,,, we miss you babe!), taking naps, listening to music... oh wait,,, we have done that for the last 16 days. Never the less we enjoyed a steak dinner, with real mashed potatoes and corn, and said our blessings for all. Tristan had made drop bisquits and is really starting to enjoy baking... I love it!
Yesterday we while we were out sailing... Hee hee, we snag 2 fish at the same time... now you will have to imagine.. these aren't normal fish we have to slow the boat down in order to make and progress on landing them or we lose our lures... and when you have your sails up and the boat is rolling like you are on a roller coaster... the kids are often throwing their hands high in the sky and saying .... "Weeeeee" that was a big one.... it is such chaos everytime we hear the music of the fishing pole being drug out by a fish.... so the drill is... at first of course everyone yells.... FISH ON! like no one hears this thing... then I jump to the wheel to turn the boat into the wind to stall it out... while Tristan and Chris strap on their harnesses and jump to the fishing pole... the little girls are running around the boat yelling fish, fish, fish... and Alexia is there to supervise us all. Yesterday was particularly fun because not only did we snag 2 fish at the same time but we had a squall quickly approaching... so of course we have to stall the boat and grab the lines... Mykaela actually reeled in one of the fish and she was so cute with her excitement of being able to land her first fish. Chris quickly got his landed and released... Dang 20 pound road kill (pacific skipjack) then ran over to help Mykaela get hers on deck. Both unfortunately where the skip jack and needed to be set free... But it was definitely a ton of fun bringing these guys in with raining pouring down and fortunately the winds where not very strong on the squall that passed over us... Chaos over and everyone goes back to lying down reading, waiting for the next time the pole sounds the alarm...
Today is our anniversary, 16 years... Chris and I are going to celebrate it by spending close time together, staring into each other's eyes, telling stories, listening to music, having dinner, Oh wait... we've been doing that for the last 16 days... Hee Hee. It is really nice to be able to get to know each other and spend so much quality time together. He really gets to see the good, the bad, and the ugly with me ... I think this is truly a test... if he still has patience with me when we land.. I think we will be good for life. :@) My anxiousness has been flaring.. and I am getting sort of done with the pounding, rodeo ride, but he is so patient and is always able to reassure and make me feel better. Even though I know it is hard for him too. He is the ever Pillar of strength for us all and I know that I can always lean on him for support, comfort, a laugh, etc... Happy Anniversary honey and did I mention... Thanks for the trip to the Marquesas, you are the best!... It will be awesome!
We are currently at 02.49S and 135.33W We are heading on a course of 180 Directly South in order to get to 06.00 lat. from there we will hang a right and hopefully have a little better trip for the last 2 days.... Just 2 more days of this rodeo rollercoaster ride... I think we can "Suck It Up" and hang in there Knowing that the end is near. I am really looking forward to dropping anchor and being able to just chill for a little while. Although they say that once you hit land after a trip like this you get land sick. The kids want to film us when we first land on shore because they say we wont be able to walk straight... it is the same feel as if you have been rollerskating for awhile... you have a hard time getting rid of the old motion... I guess I will have to continue with my stugeron routine.
The kids don't seem to notice all the motion to much... they are such troopers. The continue to entertain themselves with arts and crafts, games, imaginitive play, creating songs.... etc... it is like an everyday thing to be on this boat with all the rocking and rolling... They are learning to hang on at all times.. you can't take a step without hanging on to something or you will be tossed a little... so they have learned and so far everyone is really just amazing.. we are so lucky that they aren't complaining, saying they are hating it or anything like that... they just ask once in awhile how much longer... now I get to say 4 -5 days maybe sooner... Yay...
Hugs and Love to all,
heather
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Well we have had quite a few things to celebrate over the last few days... at least we can say it is not so boring and gives us a challenge every day. I want to say Happy Easter to everyone and I hope you got to spend time celebrating with family and loved ones. We had a great day of sailing in clear blue skies, spending close time with all of our children (except Kava,,, we miss you babe!), taking naps, listening to music... oh wait,,, we have done that for the last 16 days. Never the less we enjoyed a steak dinner, with real mashed potatoes and corn, and said our blessings for all. Tristan had made drop bisquits and is really starting to enjoy baking... I love it!
Yesterday we while we were out sailing... Hee hee, we snag 2 fish at the same time... now you will have to imagine.. these aren't normal fish we have to slow the boat down in order to make and progress on landing them or we lose our lures... and when you have your sails up and the boat is rolling like you are on a roller coaster... the kids are often throwing their hands high in the sky and saying .... "Weeeeee" that was a big one.... it is such chaos everytime we hear the music of the fishing pole being drug out by a fish.... so the drill is... at first of course everyone yells.... FISH ON! like no one hears this thing... then I jump to the wheel to turn the boat into the wind to stall it out... while Tristan and Chris strap on their harnesses and jump to the fishing pole... the little girls are running around the boat yelling fish, fish, fish... and Alexia is there to supervise us all. Yesterday was particularly fun because not only did we snag 2 fish at the same time but we had a squall quickly approaching... so of course we have to stall the boat and grab the lines... Mykaela actually reeled in one of the fish and she was so cute with her excitement of being able to land her first fish. Chris quickly got his landed and released... Dang 20 pound road kill (pacific skipjack) then ran over to help Mykaela get hers on deck. Both unfortunately where the skip jack and needed to be set free... But it was definitely a ton of fun bringing these guys in with raining pouring down and fortunately the winds where not very strong on the squall that passed over us... Chaos over and everyone goes back to lying down reading, waiting for the next time the pole sounds the alarm...
Today is our anniversary, 16 years... Chris and I are going to celebrate it by spending close time together, staring into each other's eyes, telling stories, listening to music, having dinner, Oh wait... we've been doing that for the last 16 days... Hee Hee. It is really nice to be able to get to know each other and spend so much quality time together. He really gets to see the good, the bad, and the ugly with me ... I think this is truly a test... if he still has patience with me when we land.. I think we will be good for life. :@) My anxiousness has been flaring.. and I am getting sort of done with the pounding, rodeo ride, but he is so patient and is always able to reassure and make me feel better. Even though I know it is hard for him too. He is the ever Pillar of strength for us all and I know that I can always lean on him for support, comfort, a laugh, etc... Happy Anniversary honey and did I mention... Thanks for the trip to the Marquesas, you are the best!... It will be awesome!
We are currently at 02.49S and 135.33W We are heading on a course of 180 Directly South in order to get to 06.00 lat. from there we will hang a right and hopefully have a little better trip for the last 2 days.... Just 2 more days of this rodeo rollercoaster ride... I think we can "Suck It Up" and hang in there Knowing that the end is near. I am really looking forward to dropping anchor and being able to just chill for a little while. Although they say that once you hit land after a trip like this you get land sick. The kids want to film us when we first land on shore because they say we wont be able to walk straight... it is the same feel as if you have been rollerskating for awhile... you have a hard time getting rid of the old motion... I guess I will have to continue with my stugeron routine.
The kids don't seem to notice all the motion to much... they are such troopers. The continue to entertain themselves with arts and crafts, games, imaginitive play, creating songs.... etc... it is like an everyday thing to be on this boat with all the rocking and rolling... They are learning to hang on at all times.. you can't take a step without hanging on to something or you will be tossed a little... so they have learned and so far everyone is really just amazing.. we are so lucky that they aren't complaining, saying they are hating it or anything like that... they just ask once in awhile how much longer... now I get to say 4 -5 days maybe sooner... Yay...
Hugs and Love to all,
heather
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Sunday, April 5, 2015
Easter at the Equator!
Well we didnt know we'd have these two big "E" milestones together on the same day- but here we are!
Family Circus and its 7 Pollywogs crossed 0 Degrees 0.00 Minutes N/S Latitude at 0854 this morning, and everyone woke up to experience it. We promised the kids there would be a line in the water but somehow we missed it. we actually headed due west for about two minutes swinging between the north and south hemisphere, and at one point each half of the boat was in a different hemisphere. All aboard are now officially Shellbacks, although the ceremony has been postponed due to Easter and lots of wind. We are flying along at 8-9.5 knots and have been for the last 4 hours- its great progress but not great for ceremonies.
Much to our surprise, The Easter Bunny came to Family Circus as well! Chocolate eggs, gift bags, Kinder Ueberaschungs Eier appeared from somewhere this morning, thrillling Alina and Amaia who had written the Easter bunny a note yesterday and had made Easter decorations. We have speculated whether the Easter Bunny rode on a Dolphin, or whether he has a cousin, Easter Turtle- but the outcome is great either way. We are thankful for today and its meaning and hope you are all well and enjoying the day.
I'll let Heather chime in with more of an update, but all is well, and we officially have Barn Fever for the Marquesas- less than 600 NM to go! Giddy Up Family Circus!
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Family Circus and its 7 Pollywogs crossed 0 Degrees 0.00 Minutes N/S Latitude at 0854 this morning, and everyone woke up to experience it. We promised the kids there would be a line in the water but somehow we missed it. we actually headed due west for about two minutes swinging between the north and south hemisphere, and at one point each half of the boat was in a different hemisphere. All aboard are now officially Shellbacks, although the ceremony has been postponed due to Easter and lots of wind. We are flying along at 8-9.5 knots and have been for the last 4 hours- its great progress but not great for ceremonies.
Much to our surprise, The Easter Bunny came to Family Circus as well! Chocolate eggs, gift bags, Kinder Ueberaschungs Eier appeared from somewhere this morning, thrillling Alina and Amaia who had written the Easter bunny a note yesterday and had made Easter decorations. We have speculated whether the Easter Bunny rode on a Dolphin, or whether he has a cousin, Easter Turtle- but the outcome is great either way. We are thankful for today and its meaning and hope you are all well and enjoying the day.
I'll let Heather chime in with more of an update, but all is well, and we officially have Barn Fever for the Marquesas- less than 600 NM to go! Giddy Up Family Circus!
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Saturday, April 4, 2015
Pacific Passage Update- Day 14 complete!
Well something happened today! Its funny how our daily routine and weather patterns can get shaken up by the simplest things. They also make blogging updates much easier to write, even though this one is late.
Despite several sources of professional, governmental and amateur weather forecasting information, it turns out Mother Nature has her own say. And the winds that were supposed to slow down yesterday havent, and the squalls and rain we were supposed to be done with several latitudes ago (60 nautical miles to one degree of Latitude) havent abated until.....finally late this afternoon. After three days of a reefed mainsail, we have unleashed the "Beast" and are sailing along in relatively manageable seas and making fast tracks. I am so thankful for this great family that seems to take the bouncing motion of the boat in stride and never complains. We are trying to go as fast as we safely can, even if its a bit more bouncy, as a shorter trip leaves us less exposed to potential issues. The sun is finally out and it should be a beautiful sunset. Its a far memory early this morning in the dark, when we werent able to dodge a squall and took a strong down pouring huddled together in the drivers seat.
The day started with our generator not wanting to continue working, a pretty decent inconvenience given that we use it to charge things and run the watermaker. "Fault No. 36" had a number of different causes from overloads to several fuel issues, and Heather, relating back to her ATV Tricycle days properly diagnosed something wrong with the fuel. At this point we were still bouncing around in overcast weather and avoiding squalling thunderheads, so we initially wanted to wait to tackle this issue, but after a while we decided to give it a go- unpacking our 4 scuba tanks and their holder to access the generator. Tristan and Heather did a great job holding up a towel and using their bodies to deflect the ocean water spray from entering the compartment and I changed fuel filters, oil & oil filter and bled the system to get back a happy generator, just in time as the rain started pelting down. We hope we didnt get a bad batch of fuel, but we'll know shortly if the port engine acts up, as it shares a fuel tank with the generator.
We also had some fishing excitement- as we ALMOST landed a 5 ft. Wahoo. We had him, or her, as close as its head on our swimming steps but couldnt gaff it in time, and it made a final, successful kick to unhook itself. It was extremely exciting for the family to see the fish up close as it was astoundingly beautiful, and so, so powerful. It made several hard runs once we had it close, so we got several chances to see it, but ultimately it wasnt to be. They apparently are even better eating than Mahi Mahi, so its an extra bummer, but the lures are back out and we will be better prepared next time. We had several debrief chats about what we could do differently next time, and even after gaffing it, I think its a monumental task to land it and keep it without slicing up your fingers and legs on its razor sharp teeth. Our local kids swim team is named the Wahoos, so it really would have been groovy - I even wondered about keeping the head or the whole skeleton? It really is an amazing looking fish, and one I realized I have never seen before, and one you arent likely to see in an aquarium ever.
We are debating what to make for dinner as its hard to follow up Tristan taking the initiative and making Pizza from scratch last night. It was quite tasty with hand made dough and sauce and toppings including bacon, ham and bell peppers. He is quite excited and has been perusing the cooking books today for an encore- something we highly encourage.
Tomorrow is a big day for us- its Easter, and we hope the Easter Bunny knows where we are, AND we will cross the Equator tomorrow!!! We are currently at 01 degrees 13 minutes North Latitude- which means we have 73 southerly miles to go. We will probably remember this Easter for quite a while. We have gone 2372 nautical miles and probably have slightly less than 700 nm to go! We told the kids three and half weeks for the trip, and I was personally hoping to beat three weeks, and if all goes well we should do that easily. Its hard to believe the progress we have made, and that the end is starting to come in to sight- its truly been a multi decade dream, and a pretty big sailing milestone that we have almost accomplished. We hope for continued safe travels and for the boat to hold together and we are starting to read the island guides in greater detail!
We hope you are all doing awesome and having a great weekend- Happy Easter!!! CHRIS
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Despite several sources of professional, governmental and amateur weather forecasting information, it turns out Mother Nature has her own say. And the winds that were supposed to slow down yesterday havent, and the squalls and rain we were supposed to be done with several latitudes ago (60 nautical miles to one degree of Latitude) havent abated until.....finally late this afternoon. After three days of a reefed mainsail, we have unleashed the "Beast" and are sailing along in relatively manageable seas and making fast tracks. I am so thankful for this great family that seems to take the bouncing motion of the boat in stride and never complains. We are trying to go as fast as we safely can, even if its a bit more bouncy, as a shorter trip leaves us less exposed to potential issues. The sun is finally out and it should be a beautiful sunset. Its a far memory early this morning in the dark, when we werent able to dodge a squall and took a strong down pouring huddled together in the drivers seat.
The day started with our generator not wanting to continue working, a pretty decent inconvenience given that we use it to charge things and run the watermaker. "Fault No. 36" had a number of different causes from overloads to several fuel issues, and Heather, relating back to her ATV Tricycle days properly diagnosed something wrong with the fuel. At this point we were still bouncing around in overcast weather and avoiding squalling thunderheads, so we initially wanted to wait to tackle this issue, but after a while we decided to give it a go- unpacking our 4 scuba tanks and their holder to access the generator. Tristan and Heather did a great job holding up a towel and using their bodies to deflect the ocean water spray from entering the compartment and I changed fuel filters, oil & oil filter and bled the system to get back a happy generator, just in time as the rain started pelting down. We hope we didnt get a bad batch of fuel, but we'll know shortly if the port engine acts up, as it shares a fuel tank with the generator.
We also had some fishing excitement- as we ALMOST landed a 5 ft. Wahoo. We had him, or her, as close as its head on our swimming steps but couldnt gaff it in time, and it made a final, successful kick to unhook itself. It was extremely exciting for the family to see the fish up close as it was astoundingly beautiful, and so, so powerful. It made several hard runs once we had it close, so we got several chances to see it, but ultimately it wasnt to be. They apparently are even better eating than Mahi Mahi, so its an extra bummer, but the lures are back out and we will be better prepared next time. We had several debrief chats about what we could do differently next time, and even after gaffing it, I think its a monumental task to land it and keep it without slicing up your fingers and legs on its razor sharp teeth. Our local kids swim team is named the Wahoos, so it really would have been groovy - I even wondered about keeping the head or the whole skeleton? It really is an amazing looking fish, and one I realized I have never seen before, and one you arent likely to see in an aquarium ever.
We are debating what to make for dinner as its hard to follow up Tristan taking the initiative and making Pizza from scratch last night. It was quite tasty with hand made dough and sauce and toppings including bacon, ham and bell peppers. He is quite excited and has been perusing the cooking books today for an encore- something we highly encourage.
Tomorrow is a big day for us- its Easter, and we hope the Easter Bunny knows where we are, AND we will cross the Equator tomorrow!!! We are currently at 01 degrees 13 minutes North Latitude- which means we have 73 southerly miles to go. We will probably remember this Easter for quite a while. We have gone 2372 nautical miles and probably have slightly less than 700 nm to go! We told the kids three and half weeks for the trip, and I was personally hoping to beat three weeks, and if all goes well we should do that easily. Its hard to believe the progress we have made, and that the end is starting to come in to sight- its truly been a multi decade dream, and a pretty big sailing milestone that we have almost accomplished. We hope for continued safe travels and for the boat to hold together and we are starting to read the island guides in greater detail!
We hope you are all doing awesome and having a great weekend- Happy Easter!!! CHRIS
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Friday, April 3, 2015
Pacific Puddle Jump Passage Day 13
Hello Everyone,
We are on Day 13 now... almost 2 weeks.. it is nice being past the half way point and are often dreaming of landfall now. The kids are beginning to get excited about getting to land and they are dreaming of the ice cream they will be on the search for. We don't have ice on board... so unless we put things in the fridge way in advance most our drinks are warm. There is not much new to say. We had an uneventful night last night. The moon was full and high illuminating the way for us. There was only one major squall that we had to go out of our way to avoid and then we are now back on track. We are cruising in light winds now. The seas have calmed down substantially so it now feels like we are finally beginning to get into the dead zone... We have had a lot of luck with the winds... in the areas they said it would be light we have consistently had winds from 15 - 20 and up knots and until about an hour ago we were able to cruise at speeds mostly in the 8 and 9 knot range with bursts up to 12. It has been great. We are currently at 3.44N and 132.21W, our course is 201 and we are crusing at about 6 knots. Our windmeter broke so I can no longer tell how much wind there is unless i get the manual one out.. .but we can definitely tell it has lightened up. The humidity is definitely increasing as we get closer to the equator. We are in a constant state of moisture.... at least it is nice to have the hard bimini for shade and the motion of the boat to create the wind.
The kids are great... we are trying to get back into a routine of school... they don't like that but are getting back into it slowly. Alexia is learning guitar and french and tristan is also still learning french... The small girls are having a lot of play time and making forts and playing with their toys. I am looking forward to this time so that I can do a little laundry.. We had a mishap where one of the windows was left open and we took on sea and rain water in our room ... in this climate it is hard to get things to dry out... you are constantly putting things out to dry in the sun and then taking them down for the squalls, then back up again, and down again... i guess it is something to do. :@) Now with the motion of the boat settling down I am hoping to also starting cleaning and give it a good scrub inside and out... yay me!
Hugs and love to all,
Heather
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We are on Day 13 now... almost 2 weeks.. it is nice being past the half way point and are often dreaming of landfall now. The kids are beginning to get excited about getting to land and they are dreaming of the ice cream they will be on the search for. We don't have ice on board... so unless we put things in the fridge way in advance most our drinks are warm. There is not much new to say. We had an uneventful night last night. The moon was full and high illuminating the way for us. There was only one major squall that we had to go out of our way to avoid and then we are now back on track. We are cruising in light winds now. The seas have calmed down substantially so it now feels like we are finally beginning to get into the dead zone... We have had a lot of luck with the winds... in the areas they said it would be light we have consistently had winds from 15 - 20 and up knots and until about an hour ago we were able to cruise at speeds mostly in the 8 and 9 knot range with bursts up to 12. It has been great. We are currently at 3.44N and 132.21W, our course is 201 and we are crusing at about 6 knots. Our windmeter broke so I can no longer tell how much wind there is unless i get the manual one out.. .but we can definitely tell it has lightened up. The humidity is definitely increasing as we get closer to the equator. We are in a constant state of moisture.... at least it is nice to have the hard bimini for shade and the motion of the boat to create the wind.
The kids are great... we are trying to get back into a routine of school... they don't like that but are getting back into it slowly. Alexia is learning guitar and french and tristan is also still learning french... The small girls are having a lot of play time and making forts and playing with their toys. I am looking forward to this time so that I can do a little laundry.. We had a mishap where one of the windows was left open and we took on sea and rain water in our room ... in this climate it is hard to get things to dry out... you are constantly putting things out to dry in the sun and then taking them down for the squalls, then back up again, and down again... i guess it is something to do. :@) Now with the motion of the boat settling down I am hoping to also starting cleaning and give it a good scrub inside and out... yay me!
Hugs and love to all,
Heather
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Thursday, April 2, 2015
Pacific Passage Day 12 - We are in the ICTZ
Hello Everyone,
So it is now day 12... wow time flies. I can't believe we have been out here this long... it just doesn't feel like it. Last night we had a bunch of squalls passing through and we easily dodged them. The wise sailors that said that these are nothing to fear .... where right. I guess i need to start having more faith in what they say... It truly has been a great passage so far. We haven't had any thunderstorms since 2 days ago and the squalls are short lived with winds on in the 30's im guessing... only because we go along the outskirts of them and are winds are around 25knts. Today the winds have died down along with the seas. The swells are a gentle roll of about 1 - 2 feet and all of us on board are enjoying the smooth ride we are having at this point.
They say from now until the equator the seas will be this way and the winds will be from 5 - 10 knots. We may actually be able to sail a good portion of the ICTZ which is known for the dead calm area of the pacific... They say this isnt a typical year to cross in regards to weather.. the thunderstorms and squalls just aren't what they usually are and there are light winds across. Good news for us because the boat likes to cruise in 12 -14 knt winds and can usually average about 8 knots... Right now we are traveling a direct course to the Marquesas Islands. It is about 1,000 miles away and we are on track on a course of 211 degrees. We are currently at 5.59N and 131.00W... traveling at about 8 knts... winds are 13... its beautiful today.. clear skies with patches of clouds. We had our first really bright double rainbow this morning that was fun for Amaia and I to see.
Today the kids and Chris watched a movie while I took a nap. Everyone is in a good mood and happy and all is well on board.
Hugs and love to all
Heather
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So it is now day 12... wow time flies. I can't believe we have been out here this long... it just doesn't feel like it. Last night we had a bunch of squalls passing through and we easily dodged them. The wise sailors that said that these are nothing to fear .... where right. I guess i need to start having more faith in what they say... It truly has been a great passage so far. We haven't had any thunderstorms since 2 days ago and the squalls are short lived with winds on in the 30's im guessing... only because we go along the outskirts of them and are winds are around 25knts. Today the winds have died down along with the seas. The swells are a gentle roll of about 1 - 2 feet and all of us on board are enjoying the smooth ride we are having at this point.
They say from now until the equator the seas will be this way and the winds will be from 5 - 10 knots. We may actually be able to sail a good portion of the ICTZ which is known for the dead calm area of the pacific... They say this isnt a typical year to cross in regards to weather.. the thunderstorms and squalls just aren't what they usually are and there are light winds across. Good news for us because the boat likes to cruise in 12 -14 knt winds and can usually average about 8 knots... Right now we are traveling a direct course to the Marquesas Islands. It is about 1,000 miles away and we are on track on a course of 211 degrees. We are currently at 5.59N and 131.00W... traveling at about 8 knts... winds are 13... its beautiful today.. clear skies with patches of clouds. We had our first really bright double rainbow this morning that was fun for Amaia and I to see.
Today the kids and Chris watched a movie while I took a nap. Everyone is in a good mood and happy and all is well on board.
Hugs and love to all
Heather
----------
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Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Pacific Passage Day 11
Hello Everyone,
We are still here and cruising away.. I never thought I would wake up from a nap and yell, can we slow this thing down... UGH! It has been a wild ride for 6 days now and I am tired of it... but we are all safe, healthy and still somewhat sane. The seas have picked up and are now about 10 - 12 feet of flipping confusion. We decided to go ahead and turn south. We are now at 08.52 n and 129.17 W We are cruising at 7 knts and wind speed has come down to 12 - 16. It was averaging 24 last night.. with gust up to 30 and a ton of thunder activity all around us. We were able to stay out of several squalls paths by changing direction so none of it came over us... they say we will have these conditions through thursday night and then it should start to diminish and then they will be few and far between... one more sleepless night... "Suck it up" I get so anxious that I can't sleep very well and it is hard when you are getting your body slammed to the side of the bed with a roller or a wave pounding the side of the hull that sounds like thunder inside your boat.... UGH>..
We have gone 1770 miles so far and again, I am not complaining... okay maybe I am a little but I am glad of the progress we are making and how fast we are getting there. It is now time to really kick it in and get the hell out of dodge... so we are firing up the after burners and scooting south.
The kids are completely unaffected and every morning when the sun comes up and the little ones... All of them... are sleeping peacefully unaware of all the work that we have just gone through we are oh so grateful that they have adapted to the boat and are such amazing kids. Now if I can only get Alina to stop runniung and jumping around on the boat that would be helpful. Mykaela and I were joking last night that when we got to land we would be bobbing back and forth like a weeble wobble... our body not remembering how to stand up straight...
The skies are clear above us right now, there are some scattered clouds and all is good.
Hugs and love to everyone,
Heather
Chris's Thoughts this morning:
Well. this is a Big ocean! And its an amazing blue at the moment as we are surfing down its powerful waves. I wish I could catch waves as well as this boat is doing right now. We finally got some sun today, which is especially useful since I might, have maybe just a little, left the hatch in our cabin open last night to get some fresh air, which I got, but I also got a wee bit of seawater and some rain in there as well.
We're building experiences to talk about for a while, and sailing experience to rely on in the future. A striking moment for me was when the kids were asleep, and Heather and I were playing a 1980's video game Frogger, as we tried to avoid these thunder squall cells that would show up on our radar. We had managed to dodge all of them when we resigned to "not being able to dodge this beast" and we went up to put a second reef in the main. We have had several issues with our reefing system, and a key winch that we use went inoperable two days in to the trip, so it took some creativity to do it properly. The best moment was when we were working away, with my teammate and wife, in the middle of the night, standing on the cabin top and wrestling with the sail, while the rain and wind increases, and you're in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It all went marvelously, and we hunkered down to ride out the tail end of a squall without any issues.
Nature is a powerful wonder. We had another cool family moment after dinner, as the sun had set, and to the south of us, below 9 degrees N latitude, many thunderheads lined the horizon. The wind was coming from the north, and we were going west, so we were in good shape, and we had the kids come out in the cockpit to see natures lightning show. Sheet and, occasionally, bolt lightning illuminated the sky, usually from behind these cloud formations that cast a fabulous shadow in front of the light. After a while they got bored, but we enjoyed with Tristan and Alexia as they stood one hour early evening watches to help Heather, Mykaela and I manage the overnight. Nature is Cool.
We're doing this!!!! Every now and then, like just then, it hits me! And now it feels like we are starting to see an end in sight. It's still a long way a way, but there have been different milestones we have been looking forward to, and turning South to head to the equator has been we have been waiting for, for three days. We only have about 500 more miles of Westing to go (the Marquesas are about at 138W and we will be approaching 130W tonight) so now its all about heading South and seeing this ITCZ and equator crossing through. We'll have to temper our "Are we there yet" enthusiasm, but this next section will determine how many days the trip will actually take- but we're moving!
I hope you are all well! and thanks for all of the kind well wishes and happy thoughts- we need them! CHRIS
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We are still here and cruising away.. I never thought I would wake up from a nap and yell, can we slow this thing down... UGH! It has been a wild ride for 6 days now and I am tired of it... but we are all safe, healthy and still somewhat sane. The seas have picked up and are now about 10 - 12 feet of flipping confusion. We decided to go ahead and turn south. We are now at 08.52 n and 129.17 W We are cruising at 7 knts and wind speed has come down to 12 - 16. It was averaging 24 last night.. with gust up to 30 and a ton of thunder activity all around us. We were able to stay out of several squalls paths by changing direction so none of it came over us... they say we will have these conditions through thursday night and then it should start to diminish and then they will be few and far between... one more sleepless night... "Suck it up" I get so anxious that I can't sleep very well and it is hard when you are getting your body slammed to the side of the bed with a roller or a wave pounding the side of the hull that sounds like thunder inside your boat.... UGH>..
We have gone 1770 miles so far and again, I am not complaining... okay maybe I am a little but I am glad of the progress we are making and how fast we are getting there. It is now time to really kick it in and get the hell out of dodge... so we are firing up the after burners and scooting south.
The kids are completely unaffected and every morning when the sun comes up and the little ones... All of them... are sleeping peacefully unaware of all the work that we have just gone through we are oh so grateful that they have adapted to the boat and are such amazing kids. Now if I can only get Alina to stop runniung and jumping around on the boat that would be helpful. Mykaela and I were joking last night that when we got to land we would be bobbing back and forth like a weeble wobble... our body not remembering how to stand up straight...
The skies are clear above us right now, there are some scattered clouds and all is good.
Hugs and love to everyone,
Heather
Chris's Thoughts this morning:
Well. this is a Big ocean! And its an amazing blue at the moment as we are surfing down its powerful waves. I wish I could catch waves as well as this boat is doing right now. We finally got some sun today, which is especially useful since I might, have maybe just a little, left the hatch in our cabin open last night to get some fresh air, which I got, but I also got a wee bit of seawater and some rain in there as well.
We're building experiences to talk about for a while, and sailing experience to rely on in the future. A striking moment for me was when the kids were asleep, and Heather and I were playing a 1980's video game Frogger, as we tried to avoid these thunder squall cells that would show up on our radar. We had managed to dodge all of them when we resigned to "not being able to dodge this beast" and we went up to put a second reef in the main. We have had several issues with our reefing system, and a key winch that we use went inoperable two days in to the trip, so it took some creativity to do it properly. The best moment was when we were working away, with my teammate and wife, in the middle of the night, standing on the cabin top and wrestling with the sail, while the rain and wind increases, and you're in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It all went marvelously, and we hunkered down to ride out the tail end of a squall without any issues.
Nature is a powerful wonder. We had another cool family moment after dinner, as the sun had set, and to the south of us, below 9 degrees N latitude, many thunderheads lined the horizon. The wind was coming from the north, and we were going west, so we were in good shape, and we had the kids come out in the cockpit to see natures lightning show. Sheet and, occasionally, bolt lightning illuminated the sky, usually from behind these cloud formations that cast a fabulous shadow in front of the light. After a while they got bored, but we enjoyed with Tristan and Alexia as they stood one hour early evening watches to help Heather, Mykaela and I manage the overnight. Nature is Cool.
We're doing this!!!! Every now and then, like just then, it hits me! And now it feels like we are starting to see an end in sight. It's still a long way a way, but there have been different milestones we have been looking forward to, and turning South to head to the equator has been we have been waiting for, for three days. We only have about 500 more miles of Westing to go (the Marquesas are about at 138W and we will be approaching 130W tonight) so now its all about heading South and seeing this ITCZ and equator crossing through. We'll have to temper our "Are we there yet" enthusiasm, but this next section will determine how many days the trip will actually take- but we're moving!
I hope you are all well! and thanks for all of the kind well wishes and happy thoughts- we need them! CHRIS
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
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