2226UT | 18°31.67N 155°55.47W
Sailing
The last few days have slipped by fast as the trade winds have carried us ever close to Hawaii. Our peaceful bowling along only occasionally disturbed by a squall.
Last night we were bowling along and I was looking at the blue sparkling bioluminescence creaming off the side of the boat when suddenly it started raining and the wind picked up with gusts of 28 knots slamming us hard over. We told Mary there was a squall and she decided we should go straight for 2 reefs in the main. She depowered the sail then hopped up on the coach roof in the now driving rain to clip the handybilly to the reef cringle to make a new tack and smaller sail. Back in the cockpit it was time to winch up the halyard to tighten the luff and then winch reef 2 to secure the foot of the sail. There are two ways to grind a winch: turning it clockwise is hard but a higher gear so does the job faster, the other way is easier but a long slow grind. Meanwhile it’s difficult to get a good foothold on the wet lurching boat and you’re in a confined space. Last night (if I say so myself) Emily and I nailed the teamwork of winch grinding. Using the longer handle, she perched on the upper side and I took the lower (according to our respective heights) and together we turned those winches the hard and fast way. Girl Power!
Meanwhile Bruce held the boat on its course throughout and in the morning we could see that our mascot Scooby the Booby Bird had also clung on to its perch. Hawaii is less than 250miles to go.
Sarah Talbot
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Kärt barn har många namn
A dear child goes by many a name, or as we say in Swedish "kärt barn har många namn". This is the case for many a person, but also some species, not least the Mahi mahi, which also goes by dolphin fish, golden mackerel, and dorado, among others. Soon, we could see the fish jump, a hundred feet or so behind the boat, and as I kept reeling, a beautiful Mahi appeared under the surface. Manot showed us how to clean and fillet it, and after a complete team effort two large fillets are now in the freezer of Adrienne II.
Cast off the lines
When we awoke it was overcast but the Brazilian sun quickly burned the clouds away and we were left with blue skies. We reviewed some safety procedures, cleaned the boat and had an exciting Person Overboard (POB) recovery. Once we were underway spirits soared as we pointed the bow toward the Canary Islands. As I write this we are heading upwind and dealing with all that involves, and working into our first watches. It is hot, a bit bumpy but we are sailing!!
People Get Ready!
The last three days have been an intense (and intensely hot) period of discovery, practice, and planning. Because Adrienne II is not a 59N boat, there's been some extra setup and coordination needed including rigging all the sails that were out for repairs before we arrived. Its been a blast working alongside the 59N team getting to help them work things out on a less familiar boat in real time. Tomorrow morning we'll run through our Person Over Board training as the final pre-departure task, cast off and head out. Can't know all that it will be, but its going to be a great adventure out in the vast world with some pretty fantastic people.