Pedal down

Hello from the good ship Flyer here on the Southern Seas, now just under 200nm NE* of the French Polynesian island of Nuku Hiva! Since we last checked in all five souls aboard are doing well, if hot. Temperatures have surprisingly not surpassed around 85degF since crossing the equator but the humidity has not dipped below 80%. As described previously, that means that things aboard are uncomfortable at best, and downright gross more often. 

The southern tradewinds have freshened beyond forecast. We are now seeing winds between 18-26kts from a bit further south than we had anticipated, so we are sailing a close reach into some choppy, confused seas. We’re moving at a faster pace as a result, but the boat is very wet on deck now so most hatches are closed and things are getting stuffy. And yet somehow my hot cup of Lighthouse coffee remains a highlight of my day!

It also might appear that Flyer’s had some Lighthouse caffeine too lately. With the increased breeze also comes the opportunity for more miles, so we’ve been pushing her a little harder every day as our comfort with the conditions and sail combinations grow. And knowing we’ve got less than 200nm to go, we feel more eager than ever to put the pedal down!

Since transiting the equator in the early hours of Tuesday March 11 we’ve enjoyed Kristen’s Bolognese, groomed Pelle with the ‘furminator,’ closely cropped dad’s hair and beard to a much more sensible length, successfully dodged several squalls, swapped the A3 and genoa out for each other over a dozen times, and debated whether our family will soon hold the record for most consecutive days at sea among our immediate, living family.

The twenty-first full day of our passage means that we’re really really really looking forward to making landfall and all that might await us in French Polynesia. We’ve traded the enjoyment of every day life at sea for a palpable sense of ‘when will we get there, dad?’ Maybe it’s just the duration of the trip, or possibly it’s the second wave round of betting that has our best guesses of arrival time stickied to the chart in our cabin. 

For the record, in reverse chronological order, we have James at 2p, me at 10:10a, and Kristen at 5a all on Sunday Mar 15 (the Ides of March!). Paul stands alone on March 14 at 10a. What’s your guess, dear reader?

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* Apologies, my original posting said NW of Nuku Hiva, not NE as it should have. Sleep deprivation taking its toll!