Miles traveled day 6: 85
Miles traveled day 7: 115
Miles traveled total: 781
Miles to Majuro: 1,064
Well the weather certainly has been doing its job of disrupting our routine and keeping us busy. We’re right smack in the middle of the ITCZ, which means light winds and thunder squalls. And this time the squalls are gigantic. I don’t remember them being this big before, but I suppose they were. They seem to be really active first thing in the morning – maybe from the sun coming up and heating up the huge clouds? Don’t know for sure, but what I do know is that I spent an hour this morning driving east to keep from going thought the middle of something that looked like a mushroom cloud from a nuclear bomb. Rob’s outside right now figuring out what to do with the next one that’s headed our way.
What the squalls do that’s good, though, is give us some wind. The forecasts all say we should have 2-3 knots today and we’ve got 8-10 right now. I never knew this boat would sail so well in 8 knots of wind, but as long as it’s on the beam or forward we scoot along pretty nice. Last night we had 8 knots all night with flat seas and it was a really nice ride. We’re not breaking any mileage records, but in 7 days out we’ve only motored 100 miles and burned less than 20 gallons of fuel so far. Our hope is to be in Majuro by Friday the 13th, but we’re just too far out right now to make any predictions.
We’re getting lots of updates from friends on the Tonga to New Zealand passage right now and it’s sad to not be with them. Our friends John & Nicole on Gannet are on the last leg of their 9 year journey. They bought their boat in England when they worked in Saudi Arabia and have sailed from England to northern New Zealand, where they own a home that they’ve never lived in. They’re both happy and sad to put Gannet on a mooring and see what life on land is like again after nearly a decade at sea.
Rob & I are ready for a little rest time as well. When we pick up the buoy in Majuro it will have been almost exactly a year and 11,500 miles since we left Ecuador. Phew, I get tired just thinking about it.
Teresa
