Nearing the equator

Hello from the Maple crew!!

We are slowly making progress towards Galapagos. We have managed to fly the spinnaker a few times over the last few days, but the wind has come further forward and we are now gently sailing under calm seas and winds with the full main and genoa. This afternoon the winds died out entirely so we figured it was the perfect opportunity for our last swim in the Northern Hemisphere for awhile. The water temperature was actually warmer than it was at Las Perlas.

We are still waiting for the orcas to show up, which were promised to me on this leg of the trip. Clearly can't rely on their scheduled show. In the meantime, we had some dolphins pay us a brief visit at the stern. We also regularly have a bird or two circling around Maple day and night. It is a little eerie how the birds glow green from the nav lights at night, but it is something to keep us company under perfectly clear, starry night skies. Unfortunately the last two mornings we have had to clear off a number of squid that clearly were escaping danger only to end up glued to the front deck of Maple. Not exactly the wildlife encounter I was hoping for.

Today we are making preparations for our offerings to Poseidon and our initiation ceremony to the Southern Hemisphere. Our timing for crossing the equator might not be timed well but we will force the girls from their beds to celebrate the occasion if necessary. Pictures from the momentous event will follow when in the land of internet again.

At 2019-03-31 23:45 (utc) our position was 00°40.94'N 087°29.86'W