Today was another nice downwind day. We've gone 80 miles in 12 hours. No car speed, but respectable for a boat. We now have about 1100 miles to go of a 2900-mile journey. We're making it. Still hanging in the pack!
So, on the net yesterday there were 11 boats that checked in. That's the most yet. So there are 11 boats out here in this general vicinity. We also know of a few others scattered that didn't check in. And yet we see no one all day long! Interesting. So, we are still hanging in the pack. Our little surprise boat Daphne was at longitude 121 while we were at 118 something. They are 150 miles ahead of us and left a few hours after us!! Wow, good for them! They are flying a Genniker from what I heard today. They're doing something right. One of the two boats that went north has turned and is coming south again. The other is staying higher based on weather forecasts of the wind coming straight out of the east in the next 3-4 days. The single-handing mono-hull had a rough night, poor guy!! Said he was tossed and turned in mixed up seas all night. Even had a few waves break over the stern, into the cockpit and down the gangway. He was strapped in his captain's chair and hadn't yet even been out on deck.
The fish are winning the fishing war at this point with all the boats.
We came 162 miles over the past 24 hours, that's an average of 6-7 knots. Reasonable. With the waves and wind still behind us, it's been pretty smooth. Over the past few days prior to this, we were sideways to the waves and getting some good poundings. Today I found cracks where the kitchen cabinets connect to the sleigh bed and the living room couch connects to the sleigh bed. Basically the furniture built into the main salon is getting different motion than that built onto the side hull. Well, that happens. At least the foundation of this boat was built solid, so it's just the non-nautical additions that are having some growing pains.
We finished the Galapagos video and watched it this evening after an awesome BBQ chicken/pineapple pizza dinner. Was really a nice evening. We watched an episode of "How They Make It" and the kids were off to bed. Well, so I thought. I tried to sit down and write the blog when I realized that Vitality had gone down the other side of the boat. As she surfaced, she was totally green!! Now I don't mean green splotches here and there. An entire bottle of green food coloring was emptied from Costco. She must have used it like a body lotion. She missed nothing!! It was all over the carpet, a sleeping bag, and our freezer and walls. She, on the other hand, was green from her feet to her upper chest and some patches on her face. Even a little on her back. I gave her a stern talking to, but had to laugh when I was in the other room cleaning up. If it were red, it would have been a blood bath! She left a green spot on the floor where she laid when she came up. I couldn't have her lay in bed, but it was now after bedtime and she was tired. I put the sleeping bag that she colored under her and got her to bed (just after a few pictures and a video). Unfortunately it was dark and I couldn't get great pictures, but I'm sure in the morning we will be doing a photo-shoot with our new short hair-do and green skin. What a mischievous 3-year-old!!!
We shall see what another week brings. I don't know if we can land like this - a green child with chopped hair?? We may need to circle again before we land and drag it out a little until we're all presentable?? Or can you just bleach a little white kid? That's my plan with the carpet. (Just a joke!! Don't call CPS!!)
Never a boring day!
Shannon
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