Day 6- moist conditions and bigger seas = soggy sailors

Time: 2200 Zulu (noon Hawaii time)
Position: 09-deg 01-min N 158-deg 15-min W
Wind: ENE 17 Seas: E 4-8-ft
Avg. Course: 193 T
Avg. Speed: 5.1-knots
Rig: 80% jib and triple-reefed mains'l
24-hr distance traveled: 121-nm
Distance to Fanning Island: 313-nm

We started Day-6 by pulling the triple reefed mains'l down in the squally conditions. Shawn went down for her off-watch to grab some much needed sleep as she'd been cranky and grouchy since getting up that morning. Chris uploaded our Winlink Airmail and downloaded weather gribs and as he weathered a few more small squalls he finally pulled the mains'l back up to the third reef around 1600. PacSea Net check-in is falling around 1800 these days, a social time, with Shawn getting up and starting dinner and Chris chatting it up on the radio with his dad Dave (WB6AXR) in Palos Verdes, CA. Yesterday was a busy one with additional contact from family friend and sailor Jim Whiting (KI6EQU) from the Marina del Rey Yacht Club station and also Randy (KH6RC), one of the PacSea net controllers who talked us over to Hawaii and then tested Shawn for her general license, stationed at the South Point of the Big Island. So nice to know that people are interested and take time to say hello!

The sleep worked and Shawn awoke refreshed, happy to hear all the radio chatter and read received e-mails before making dinner. Steak and vegetable soup over rice and fresh romaine, cucumber, tomato and cheese salad (Julia, remember all that romaine you saw when we Skyped over 2-weeks ago? Our Waeco refeer rocks!). Shawn had passed a big bowl of each up to Chris, who was holding them in his high side seat while she clambered up onto deck. It was at this moment that one of the sneaky little waves decided to pour in, just past the dodger and right onto Chris' back. The rockstar did not spill a morsel, though he and our cushion seats were both soaked through. Useless to get dry clothes on and sit on the wet cushions- Shawn already had her evening watch garb on (having given up on the foul weather gear, thin Patagonia rain pants, Marmot Precip rain jacket and boots ala s/v Caramelo)- Chris stripped down for dinner. Many thanks to the Ocean Goddesses for that!

As juxtaposed with the previous night's continual squalls, last night was magical. We dropped the mains'l for the night, Venus and the stars shone bright, and each moment the phosphorescence grew more brilliant in the nearly New Moon conditions. In the surrounding darkness, the crests of all the breaking waves within view were green and at midnight watch change, Chris found Shawn hanging over the stern (clipped in of course) trying to photograph the windvane blade cutting through the water creating a bright green sparkling wake. A few squalls and subsequent lulls later Chris witnessed a gorgeous sunrise. While Shawn made raisin and apple filled oatmeal, Chris busily hung our cushions and his foulie gear to dry, then together we put the triple reefed mains'l back up for a fantastic morning sail. Breezes have been consistent around 18-knots and seas are a little more organized and bigger (to 8-ft) as we clock our biggest mileage day yet, 121-nm at the noon point.