Day 22- Rolly rolly

Time: 1700 Zulu (noon PV time)
Position: 19-deg 33-min N 146-deg 57-min W
Wind: NE 19-knots Seas: NE 5-ft, N 4-ft
Avg. Course: 274 T Avg. Speed: 5.5-knots
Rig: 80% jib
24-hr distance traveled: 133-nm
Distance to Hilo: 460-nm

With the winds back up, the seas near instantly grew rolly again. It is so funny how quickly we forget what it's like... Over the day, we decided to put the triple-reefed main back up to provide some stabilization and the sun did indeed come back out so we took the 3rd cockpit shower of our voyage. As the afternoon wore on, the winds increased even a little more so we reduced sail again by taking the main down and enjoyed a yummy Cashew chicken pad thai over udon noodles for dinner. Shawn checked in on the PacSea net (which is over before the sun sets these days!) and Chris happened to be up for a bathroom break to see his first sunset of the trip- which also happened to be the first hot pink one. It was a quiet night overall, and as the winds decreased and life turned extra rolly again, Chris put the triple-reefed main back up. The highlight of his graveyard shift was watching the previously obscured moon appear at the horizon, yellowish red under the clouds as it set. Shawn's sunrise watch was gratefully squall-less and she pulled up the main again to its 2nd reef. As noon came round, the winds came back in force, so we pulled the mainsail down completely to once again end up with a noon-time rig of 80% jib alone.

It was a surprisingly big mileage day for us, likely all that surfing down the wave faces. Besides our normal daily tasks, both of our thinking has subtly shifted to include the bureaucratic preparations regarding our upcoming landfall. We seem to be headed for this Friday or Saturday to reach Hilo, made more interesting by a Friday Kameamea holiday. It is therefore a bit of a difficult time to check Grizzly into the islands as she needs to be seen by a local veterinarian and the Hawaiian Agricultural inspector (who do not work the weekends) within 48-hrs of landfall. We have e-mail contact in the works. The past few days we have also found ourselves in many discussions about where our path will lead from Hilo. There are lots of exciting options, and don't worry, we'll let you know as we figure it out!