Position: We are officially half way to French Polynesia. Our position is:
04 42.18S 108 16.39W
*Note: I am told you can copy and paste these coordinates into google earth and it will show you where we are.
Mileage: 1988 – 1844nm = 144nm
Number of miles to go: 1844nm to go of approx. 3850nm. We are TRULY on our way to French Polynesia.
Fish count: The count remains the same. 4 Mahi Mahi, 2 Cero and 6 tuna. One Marlin that we were happy got away! No fishing rods out still. We need to eat a bit out of food out of the freezer to make some more room.
GUESS WHAT?
We found the trade winds. Almost better than finding the equator! We finally found the South Easterly trade winds and a favorable current just below 4 degrees south. We have now turned South West towards French Polynesia for a down wind sail. We have wind driven seas from astern, but we continue to have a much larger Southern swell. So the boat is ‘kind of’ still rolling side to side and backwards and forwards. Bit of a washing machine effect. A bit noisy down below as everything clatters about as the boat pitches around, and it is a bit hard to cook and serve as every things keeps running away from you on the counters, but who cares. We are finally sailing down wind!
No longer beating against the wind and waves we can finally put some speed on. We dropped the main for now. In the bad roll she was just flogging about anyway and stealing air from the foresail. Instead we are running on just a poled out Genoa (forward sail). Our speed has increased to 6-7 knots with no strain on the boat. If the winds get lighter, we have a second foresail we can raise and pole out the other side of the boat. If the winds continue to get light and the sea state eases, we also have a very light weight cruising chute. So we are all set to go. Eating up the miles between here and French Polynesia. But do not get too excited, we have only just past the half way mark. We have a couple more weeks at sea to go.
WHAT POSSESSED YOU TO SAIL ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN?
I asked you all to think about weather or not you would sail across the Pacific Ocean. Following the blog you have not had to get your ‘hands dirty’ getting the boat ready, stocked and prepared. But I hope you do have a better understanding of some of the things that go into planning a big trip like this now. Would you make a trip like this? And if so, why?
Today I will share the answer from one of my humans.
HUMAN 1
Why do I want to cross Pacific Ocean by sailboat to French Polynesia?
Its a good question, because on the face of it is slightly mad, especially when you can jump on a plane and be there in 24 hours, not 5 weeks!!
The foremost answer is that is an extension of a cruising life aboard a sailboat that I have already adopted. There are many reasons for embracing this lifestyle: freedom, independence, self sufficiency. The ability to get to out of the way beautiful and exotic places and taking your home with you.
When you visit by sailboat, you become not just a tourist, because you have to interact with the local people, you go the same shops as them, use the same local transport services, you need supplies and services and you are often there for longer than just two weeks.
The South Pacific and in particular is a culmination of all my cruising dreams. It is remote, exotic, with a unique culture, stunning variety of islands, spread across the Pacific Ocean an area the size of Europe. It cries out to be explored by sailboat and I am sure it will surpass all my expectations.
END
