Time: 2021/07/11 03:19:52
Latitude: 35-43.91N
Longitude: 173-43.23W
Speed: 4.6
Course: 325T
Comment: The wind is beginning to turn to the E, allowing us to sail more N than we have since leaving Hawaii. Looks like we won't cross the dateline after all. Spirits improve for each degree to starboard we turn. In a couple of days we should be past the High pressure and have some fine sailing with wind aft of the beam for the remaining 1500NM to Kodiak.
Yesterday as I stood in the galley something horrible caught my eye. A mournful sound escaped my lips as I slowly processed what it was that I was seeing. The family, hearing my pitiful sound, all reacted with a mix of impatience (because they are familiar with my tendency towards dramatics) and worry, "What is wrong?!. They did not yet understand what tragedy had befallen on Maple.
I slowly picked up the offending item and dramatically showed the family the saddness of the previously liquid coconut oil that was now well and truly a solid mass.
[Dramatic pause as this sinks in for all the readers!]
Yes, it is true. We have well and truly left the tropics. If the layers of clothing and blankets were not indication enough, the coconut oil was a beacon of that reality. Ella, in a flash, raced to her bathroom, to discover that her precious monoi oil that she so painstakingly applies to her hair with every wash now sat unobtainable in its bottle.
Is it too late to turn around?! After all, we are nearly about to cross the date line. Fiji is just on the other side of that imaginary line, and just a little over 3000 miles to the south. Perhaps we could make an abrupt turn and head due south as after all we have had no ability to head due north as intended. Clearly the weather gods and the coconut oil are telling us to change course. We are heading the wrong way.
No, no. It is okay. The glaciers, mountain peaks and bears are calling to us for a visit. We will adapt. After all we are hardy born and bred Canadians, surely we can survive this transition from the tropics to the higher latitudes?! After all we have also discovered that our freezer was meant for the higher latitudes. We have never seen our fridge/freezer work so efficiently, despite still being on that pesky starboard tack. Who knew it could keep things frozen so well and have the compressor not run 24/7. Plus the bonus of the much reduced draw on the battieries. It is a miracle.
So with the bad, comes the good. Such is life on the high seas. Maple continues her painfully slow progression NW. Oh how I will forever curse a NE wind. The forecast indicates that we will start to see a favourable turn in the wind in the next day or so. It should mean we can slowly start to pinch Maple's bows further north and ideally even northeast towards Kodiak.
All is well with the crew on Maple. We have recovered from the shock of the cruel realities of the properities of matter and will learn to adapt to scraping the oil out of their bottles when needed.
Saturday, 10 July 2021
Thursday, 8 July 2021
Reflections
This is not my usual email, not at all sailing related. Today is a tragic anniversary in our family and so I wanted to share my memories and loss with those who may be willing to read them. I must admit that I have discovered sending these updates at sea leaves me feeling very vulnerable so sending this today did not come easy, but the loss of Madeline is too significant to pass unnoticed.
Two years ago my family was changed forever overnight. Two years ago my brother lost his eldest child; my niece and nephew lost their sister; my mom lost her first grandchild; my girls lost their cousin; and I lost my niece. Madeline, your 17 years were far too short. You lived a beautiful life that was full of enthusiasm and energy that immediately lit up a room.
I will be forever grateful for your visit four years ago aboard Maple in Martinique. Your willingness to play with your young cousins. Teaching them ballet on the beach. Playing countless games with them. Constantly braiding their hair. Your willingness to jump in and try new things. Seeing your eyes sparkle as your snorkelled for the first time. Your unbridled awe at the size of the massive Caribbean avocados. Your shrieks of laughter when we unwittingly discovered those spider-like crabs in the mangroves. Your natural ability at driving the dinghy at your first try. Your smile and laughter was always uninhibited and contagious.
Never imagined as I hugged you goodbye when you left to fly home that it would be the last time. What I wouldn't give to have you still here with us. Your death left a huge void in our family, but your spark and tenacity for living your life fully will forever inspire me. Sending my family my love today and always.
Two years ago my family was changed forever overnight. Two years ago my brother lost his eldest child; my niece and nephew lost their sister; my mom lost her first grandchild; my girls lost their cousin; and I lost my niece. Madeline, your 17 years were far too short. You lived a beautiful life that was full of enthusiasm and energy that immediately lit up a room.
I will be forever grateful for your visit four years ago aboard Maple in Martinique. Your willingness to play with your young cousins. Teaching them ballet on the beach. Playing countless games with them. Constantly braiding their hair. Your willingness to jump in and try new things. Seeing your eyes sparkle as your snorkelled for the first time. Your unbridled awe at the size of the massive Caribbean avocados. Your shrieks of laughter when we unwittingly discovered those spider-like crabs in the mangroves. Your natural ability at driving the dinghy at your first try. Your smile and laughter was always uninhibited and contagious.
Never imagined as I hugged you goodbye when you left to fly home that it would be the last time. What I wouldn't give to have you still here with us. Your death left a huge void in our family, but your spark and tenacity for living your life fully will forever inspire me. Sending my family my love today and always.
Wednesday, 7 July 2021
Chill is in the air
Time: 2021/07/08 02:50:29
Latitude: 32-27.63N
Longitude: 167-51.59W
Speed: 5.6
Course: 304T
Comment:
It is official, wool socks and boots have made their debut to accompany my night shift ensemble. No more sitting barefoot at the helm at night for the foreseeable future. And then today, even during the day shorts are no longer being worn by three of the four crew. At 22C inside the salon, only Ella is tough enough to keep wearing short sleeves and shorts. Mind you, she is the one who wore shorts even at 5,000m altitude while trekking in Peru, so I suppose she has demonstrated she is the toughest of the bunch here.
We continue to battle the NE winds and at this stage we have just accepted the reality that we are going to continue to be pushed NW whether we like it or not. The goal now is to do a large loop westward then north to get around this pesky high pressure system that seems to be keeping pace with our NW advance. Theoretically we will eventually see favourable winds that will push us north towards Kodiak. So far the forecast has held true the last 7 days so I am hoping we can continue to trust what the forecast is saying that eventually we will see more pleasant conditions. For my shift of 12am to 3am this morning, I had a fantastic watch. Seas were not awful, winds held consistent. Then D takes over and suddenly he saw winds from all directions, ugly seas and driving rain from squalls marching over and around us. Needless to say, it did not make for pleasant sleeping conditions but honestly I was happy to be down in the warm, dry cabin than up where he was.
The rest of the day, the waves just have not wanted to settle. When I stupidly asked how many days we have been sailing and D said we had just finished up 6 days, I felt like crying a little. We have not had a break from an average of 20 knots of wind and 2+ meter waves since we left Hanalei, I wish I was exaggerated but I am not. On the positive side, we have not had to turn on the engine once, it has been fantastic sailing, just would be more pleasant if at a more agreeable angle and calmer seas please. Further, we have been charging our batteries 100% each day by solar alone so really there are loads of positives. We are trying to keep a good sense of humour as D just said "It is starting to feel comfortable, my molars are not crashing together as much, should I turn us more upwind?!" For those not nautically inclined, more upwind is never more comfortable...well at least not on Maple.
Well that is all from us for now. All is well on board. Really looking forward to getting on a port tack as I feel at this stage we have identified all leaks on the starboard side, so why not test out the port side soon.
Latitude: 32-27.63N
Longitude: 167-51.59W
Speed: 5.6
Course: 304T
Comment:
It is official, wool socks and boots have made their debut to accompany my night shift ensemble. No more sitting barefoot at the helm at night for the foreseeable future. And then today, even during the day shorts are no longer being worn by three of the four crew. At 22C inside the salon, only Ella is tough enough to keep wearing short sleeves and shorts. Mind you, she is the one who wore shorts even at 5,000m altitude while trekking in Peru, so I suppose she has demonstrated she is the toughest of the bunch here.
We continue to battle the NE winds and at this stage we have just accepted the reality that we are going to continue to be pushed NW whether we like it or not. The goal now is to do a large loop westward then north to get around this pesky high pressure system that seems to be keeping pace with our NW advance. Theoretically we will eventually see favourable winds that will push us north towards Kodiak. So far the forecast has held true the last 7 days so I am hoping we can continue to trust what the forecast is saying that eventually we will see more pleasant conditions. For my shift of 12am to 3am this morning, I had a fantastic watch. Seas were not awful, winds held consistent. Then D takes over and suddenly he saw winds from all directions, ugly seas and driving rain from squalls marching over and around us. Needless to say, it did not make for pleasant sleeping conditions but honestly I was happy to be down in the warm, dry cabin than up where he was.
The rest of the day, the waves just have not wanted to settle. When I stupidly asked how many days we have been sailing and D said we had just finished up 6 days, I felt like crying a little. We have not had a break from an average of 20 knots of wind and 2+ meter waves since we left Hanalei, I wish I was exaggerated but I am not. On the positive side, we have not had to turn on the engine once, it has been fantastic sailing, just would be more pleasant if at a more agreeable angle and calmer seas please. Further, we have been charging our batteries 100% each day by solar alone so really there are loads of positives. We are trying to keep a good sense of humour as D just said "It is starting to feel comfortable, my molars are not crashing together as much, should I turn us more upwind?!" For those not nautically inclined, more upwind is never more comfortable...well at least not on Maple.
Well that is all from us for now. All is well on board. Really looking forward to getting on a port tack as I feel at this stage we have identified all leaks on the starboard side, so why not test out the port side soon.
Monday, 5 July 2021
Leaving on a Jetplane
Time: 2021/07/06 02:18:27
Latitude: 29-54.80N
Longitude: 164-1.75W
Speed: 5.5
Course: 313T
Marine: Yes
Wind_Speed: 23
Wind_Dir: NE
Wave_Ht: 2M
Wave_Dir: NE
Comment: Continuing NW, expect to see wind shift to N in 2 days at which point we will begin to head more E or NE as possible. Seas and wind beginning to calm somewhat compared to yesterday and previous days.
No, it is not what you may think. I did not spend my night watch devising a plan to get airlifted out of here. Today is a special anniversary for the Maple crew. Today marks six years since we boarded a plane in Vancouver bound for Greece to join Maple and start this new path in our lives. What a six years it has been!!
Some of the highlights include: hot air ballooning in Turkey; camel riding in the Sahara Desert in Tunisia; horseback riding in Cuba; ziplining in Guatemala; trekking in Peru; watching penguins swim beneath Maple's hulls in Galapagos; and scuba diving with sharks in French Polynesia.
Of course, much of the six years are not always this utopia of one mind blowing experience after the other. Most of the time, it is just us together as a family. Plenty of nagging to "Clean up your room!!"; "Whose turn is it do the dishes?"; and "Stop annoying your sister!!".
We have no regrets for giving up most of our possessions; walking away from good paying secure jobs; losing the future equity we would have continued to build in our house and instead spending what equity we could get out of the sale over the last six years. We have gained so much more than what we gave up. Sure we might be living in a cardboard box in our old age and our girls likely won't receive much of an inheritance from us, but nothing can take away these incredible years we have had together.
The other day, Ella looked at me, entirely unprompted I promise, and said "I have the best life! Thank you for taking us on this trip." And that is it, this is why we risked everything to take this journey as a family. We wanted to explore new countries and traverse oceans with our girls while we still had their undivided attention. No regrets and excited to see what the future holds for all of us!
Latitude: 29-54.80N
Longitude: 164-1.75W
Speed: 5.5
Course: 313T
Marine: Yes
Wind_Speed: 23
Wind_Dir: NE
Wave_Ht: 2M
Wave_Dir: NE
Comment: Continuing NW, expect to see wind shift to N in 2 days at which point we will begin to head more E or NE as possible. Seas and wind beginning to calm somewhat compared to yesterday and previous days.
No, it is not what you may think. I did not spend my night watch devising a plan to get airlifted out of here. Today is a special anniversary for the Maple crew. Today marks six years since we boarded a plane in Vancouver bound for Greece to join Maple and start this new path in our lives. What a six years it has been!!
Some of the highlights include: hot air ballooning in Turkey; camel riding in the Sahara Desert in Tunisia; horseback riding in Cuba; ziplining in Guatemala; trekking in Peru; watching penguins swim beneath Maple's hulls in Galapagos; and scuba diving with sharks in French Polynesia.
Of course, much of the six years are not always this utopia of one mind blowing experience after the other. Most of the time, it is just us together as a family. Plenty of nagging to "Clean up your room!!"; "Whose turn is it do the dishes?"; and "Stop annoying your sister!!".
We have no regrets for giving up most of our possessions; walking away from good paying secure jobs; losing the future equity we would have continued to build in our house and instead spending what equity we could get out of the sale over the last six years. We have gained so much more than what we gave up. Sure we might be living in a cardboard box in our old age and our girls likely won't receive much of an inheritance from us, but nothing can take away these incredible years we have had together.
The other day, Ella looked at me, entirely unprompted I promise, and said "I have the best life! Thank you for taking us on this trip." And that is it, this is why we risked everything to take this journey as a family. We wanted to explore new countries and traverse oceans with our girls while we still had their undivided attention. No regrets and excited to see what the future holds for all of us!
Sunday, 4 July 2021
Bound for...Siberia?
Time: 2021/07/05 01:15:03
Latitude: 28-11.96N
Longitude: 162-26.15W
Speed: 5.4
Course: 321T
Wind_Speed: 27
Wind_Dir: NE
Air_Temp: 26C
Wave_Ht: 2M
Wave_Dir: NE
Comment: Wind and waves are forcing us further west than we'd like, but we can make that up once we are out of the tradewinds. Watching the Pacific High and hoping it provides a gap for us to head N as forecast.
So Part 2 of this passage is proving to be about the same as Part 1. Big seas and a strong NE wind that we are fighting to work our way north. The end result as usual for Maple and her crew, we are sailing NW and it appears Siberia is our next port of call. I guess either way we need to install a heater. A couple of days before we left Honolulu while D was fixing yet more random stuff that was spontaneously calling it quits, Ella said "It feels like Maple is telling us we should not go to Alaska." It really does feel that way, but regardless here we are. We will get there eventually even if Maple is rebelling against leaving the tropics.
One of the emails we received yesterday was from friends who have been at sea for the last month and a half since leaving the Marshall Islands bound for BC. Their current air temperature is 6C!?!? Even their dog is stealing blankets from the kids to stay warm. At the start of my 6pm watch yesterday, I was wearing my full foul weather gear with a sweater underneath my jacket, and I was still a little chilly. Any guesses on what the thermometer claims was the temperature?! (For the record, I think the thermometer is wrong...and clearly does not factor in the wind chill!) The air temp was 26C!!! Yes, 26C and I was still chilly. I am not really comprehending how I am going to manage 20 degrees cooler. Tell me again why are we returning to the Great White North?! Further to call me to question our plans, is we received another email from friends who are seriously contemplating buying property in Fiji. Gah...we clearly did not explore all possible future plans when setting a course for north.
Oh well, I am sure one day in the distant, distant future, we will look back on this trip with fond memories of frequent unintended saltwater showers, mopping out the swimming pool that keeps trying to form under the cockpit table (Yes, we are still on that darn starboard tack!) and the constant lumpy seas. For our first 72 hours, we have been averaging around 125nm a day, so at least we are knocking off the miles even if it gets us to Siberia.
Latitude: 28-11.96N
Longitude: 162-26.15W
Speed: 5.4
Course: 321T
Wind_Speed: 27
Wind_Dir: NE
Air_Temp: 26C
Wave_Ht: 2M
Wave_Dir: NE
Comment: Wind and waves are forcing us further west than we'd like, but we can make that up once we are out of the tradewinds. Watching the Pacific High and hoping it provides a gap for us to head N as forecast.
So Part 2 of this passage is proving to be about the same as Part 1. Big seas and a strong NE wind that we are fighting to work our way north. The end result as usual for Maple and her crew, we are sailing NW and it appears Siberia is our next port of call. I guess either way we need to install a heater. A couple of days before we left Honolulu while D was fixing yet more random stuff that was spontaneously calling it quits, Ella said "It feels like Maple is telling us we should not go to Alaska." It really does feel that way, but regardless here we are. We will get there eventually even if Maple is rebelling against leaving the tropics.
One of the emails we received yesterday was from friends who have been at sea for the last month and a half since leaving the Marshall Islands bound for BC. Their current air temperature is 6C!?!? Even their dog is stealing blankets from the kids to stay warm. At the start of my 6pm watch yesterday, I was wearing my full foul weather gear with a sweater underneath my jacket, and I was still a little chilly. Any guesses on what the thermometer claims was the temperature?! (For the record, I think the thermometer is wrong...and clearly does not factor in the wind chill!) The air temp was 26C!!! Yes, 26C and I was still chilly. I am not really comprehending how I am going to manage 20 degrees cooler. Tell me again why are we returning to the Great White North?! Further to call me to question our plans, is we received another email from friends who are seriously contemplating buying property in Fiji. Gah...we clearly did not explore all possible future plans when setting a course for north.
Oh well, I am sure one day in the distant, distant future, we will look back on this trip with fond memories of frequent unintended saltwater showers, mopping out the swimming pool that keeps trying to form under the cockpit table (Yes, we are still on that darn starboard tack!) and the constant lumpy seas. For our first 72 hours, we have been averaging around 125nm a day, so at least we are knocking off the miles even if it gets us to Siberia.
Bound for...Siberia?
Time: 2021/07/05 01:15:03
Latitude: 28-11.96N
Longitude: 162-26.15W
Speed: 5.4
Course: 321T
Wind_Speed: 27
Wind_Dir: NE
Air_Temp: 26C
Wave_Ht: 2M
Wave_Dir: NE
Comment: Wind and waves are forcing us further west than we'd like, but we can make that up once we are out of the tradewinds. Watching the Pacific High and hoping it provides a gap for us to head N as forecast.
So Part 2 of this passage is proving to be about the same as Part 1. Big seas and a strong NE wind that we are fighting to work our way north. The end result as usual for Maple and her crew, we are sailing NW and it appears Siberia is our next port of call. I guess either way we need to install a heater. A couple of days before we left Honolulu while D was fixing yet more random stuff that was spontaneously calling it quits, Ella said "It feels like Maple is telling us we should not go to Alaska." It really does feel that way, but regardless here we are. We will get there eventually even if Maple is rebelling against leaving the tropics.
One of the emails we received yesterday was from friends who have been at sea for the last month and a half since leaving the Marshall Islands bound for BC. Their current air temperature is 6C!?!? Even their dog is stealing blankets from the kids to stay warm. At the start of my 6pm watch yesterday, I was wearing my full foul weather gear with a sweater underneath my jacket, and I was still a little chilly. Any guesses on what the thermometer claims was the temperature?! (For the record, I think the thermometer is wrong...and clearly does not factor in the wind chill!) The air temp was 26C!!! Yes, 26C and I was still chilly. I am not really comprehending how I am going to manage 20 degrees cooler. Tell me again why are we returning to the Great White North?! Further to call me to question our plans, is we received another email from friends who are seriously contemplating buying property in Fiji. Gah...we clearly did not explore all possible future plans when setting a course for north.
Oh well, I am sure one day in the distant, distant future, we will look back on this trip with fond memories of frequent unintended saltwater showers, mopping out the swimming pool that keeps trying to form under the cockpit table (Yes, we are still on that darn starboard tack!) and the constant lumpy seas. For our first 72 hours, we have been averaging around 125nm a day, so at least we are knocking off the miles even if it gets us to Siberia.
Latitude: 28-11.96N
Longitude: 162-26.15W
Speed: 5.4
Course: 321T
Wind_Speed: 27
Wind_Dir: NE
Air_Temp: 26C
Wave_Ht: 2M
Wave_Dir: NE
Comment: Wind and waves are forcing us further west than we'd like, but we can make that up once we are out of the tradewinds. Watching the Pacific High and hoping it provides a gap for us to head N as forecast.
So Part 2 of this passage is proving to be about the same as Part 1. Big seas and a strong NE wind that we are fighting to work our way north. The end result as usual for Maple and her crew, we are sailing NW and it appears Siberia is our next port of call. I guess either way we need to install a heater. A couple of days before we left Honolulu while D was fixing yet more random stuff that was spontaneously calling it quits, Ella said "It feels like Maple is telling us we should not go to Alaska." It really does feel that way, but regardless here we are. We will get there eventually even if Maple is rebelling against leaving the tropics.
One of the emails we received yesterday was from friends who have been at sea for the last month and a half since leaving the Marshall Islands bound for BC. Their current air temperature is 6C!?!? Even their dog is stealing blankets from the kids to stay warm. At the start of my 6pm watch yesterday, I was wearing my full foul weather gear with a sweater underneath my jacket, and I was still a little chilly. Any guesses on what the thermometer claims was the temperature?! (For the record, I think the thermometer is wrong...and clearly does not factor in the wind chill!) The air temp was 26C!!! Yes, 26C and I was still chilly. I am not really comprehending how I am going to manage 20 degrees cooler. Tell me again why are we returning to the Great White North?! Further to call me to question our plans, is we received another email from friends who are seriously contemplating buying property in Fiji. Gah...we clearly did not explore all possible future plans when setting a course for north.
Oh well, I am sure one day in the distant, distant future, we will look back on this trip with fond memories of frequent unintended saltwater showers, mopping out the swimming pool that keeps trying to form under the cockpit table (Yes, we are still on that darn starboard tack!) and the constant lumpy seas. For our first 72 hours, we have been averaging around 125nm a day, so at least we are knocking off the miles even if it gets us to Siberia.
Friday, 2 July 2021
Passage to Alaska Part 2
Time: 2021/07/03 02:00:33
Latitude: 24-28.50N
Longitude: 160-9.00E
Speed: 5.0
Course: 340T
AWA 70 deg
AWS 20 kt
Comment: Some squalls, waves 1.5-2M from the E. Progressing towards 40N/165E but plan to turn E as winds allow.,
Here we go again. We had a fabulous 17 days in Hawaii, mostly spent in Waikiki Yacht Club in Honolulu where we were able to get loads of work done on Maple as well as meet new people, spend too much money on shopping and do a small amount of touristy stuff. We left the marina on June 28 and enjoyed a calm, easy overnight sail to Hanalei Bay at the north end of Kauai. It was lovely to be at anchor again in a stunning anchorage surrounded by lush green mountains. However, our time there was very short lived. We are losing precious days of summer in Alaska so it is time to get moving north again. And so here we are. We left Hanalei on July 1st at 1pm local time and it has been a fast, rollercoaster ride since leaving the shelter of the bay.
I will admit that I was really hoping for a repeat of our overnight sail to Kauai. Clear starry skies and calm seas. But alas, it is not meant to be apparently. We have managed to cover 128nm in the first 24 hours which is speedy for pokey little Maple considering she has three reefs in her main and one reef (at times two or more) in her jib. The seas have only continued to build over those 24 hours and most of the crew have endured more than their share of unwanted saltwater showers as white water crashes repeatedly into the cockpit. Sigh. I will admit that I am kind of over this whole upwind sailing thing. But I am just going to have to put on my big girl panties, grit my teeth and get the next 2100nm sailed regardless of what the weather and seas have to say about it. I am grateful for my new foul weather gear that I was able to buy while in Hawaii, it is already being put to good use.
One of many ways we parted with our money while in Hawaii is we bought a replacement computer for the one that kicked the bucket as we neared Honolulu. To further complicate things, we also switched programs that we use for connecting to the SSB to send email as the previous program was misbehaving. It meant having to import the address book, which to me is always a bit hit and miss if all the info transferred correctly. So here is hoping this email actually sends and is received as intended.
All is well with the crew. We all managed to get our sea legs back much quicker than when we left Tahiti so that is good news. We always love hearing from people, just a reminder to please either start a new email or be sure to erase my original email before sending a reply. And I know many of you have already found out the hard way, but Winlink does have rules against swearing over the public airwaves. I love how many of our friends admitted to getting their knuckles wrapped by Winlink for sending an email with "inappropriate language", clearly we are friends with a lot of sailors or sailors-at-heart. :)
Latitude: 24-28.50N
Longitude: 160-9.00E
Speed: 5.0
Course: 340T
AWA 70 deg
AWS 20 kt
Comment: Some squalls, waves 1.5-2M from the E. Progressing towards 40N/165E but plan to turn E as winds allow.,
Here we go again. We had a fabulous 17 days in Hawaii, mostly spent in Waikiki Yacht Club in Honolulu where we were able to get loads of work done on Maple as well as meet new people, spend too much money on shopping and do a small amount of touristy stuff. We left the marina on June 28 and enjoyed a calm, easy overnight sail to Hanalei Bay at the north end of Kauai. It was lovely to be at anchor again in a stunning anchorage surrounded by lush green mountains. However, our time there was very short lived. We are losing precious days of summer in Alaska so it is time to get moving north again. And so here we are. We left Hanalei on July 1st at 1pm local time and it has been a fast, rollercoaster ride since leaving the shelter of the bay.
I will admit that I was really hoping for a repeat of our overnight sail to Kauai. Clear starry skies and calm seas. But alas, it is not meant to be apparently. We have managed to cover 128nm in the first 24 hours which is speedy for pokey little Maple considering she has three reefs in her main and one reef (at times two or more) in her jib. The seas have only continued to build over those 24 hours and most of the crew have endured more than their share of unwanted saltwater showers as white water crashes repeatedly into the cockpit. Sigh. I will admit that I am kind of over this whole upwind sailing thing. But I am just going to have to put on my big girl panties, grit my teeth and get the next 2100nm sailed regardless of what the weather and seas have to say about it. I am grateful for my new foul weather gear that I was able to buy while in Hawaii, it is already being put to good use.
One of many ways we parted with our money while in Hawaii is we bought a replacement computer for the one that kicked the bucket as we neared Honolulu. To further complicate things, we also switched programs that we use for connecting to the SSB to send email as the previous program was misbehaving. It meant having to import the address book, which to me is always a bit hit and miss if all the info transferred correctly. So here is hoping this email actually sends and is received as intended.
All is well with the crew. We all managed to get our sea legs back much quicker than when we left Tahiti so that is good news. We always love hearing from people, just a reminder to please either start a new email or be sure to erase my original email before sending a reply. And I know many of you have already found out the hard way, but Winlink does have rules against swearing over the public airwaves. I love how many of our friends admitted to getting their knuckles wrapped by Winlink for sending an email with "inappropriate language", clearly we are friends with a lot of sailors or sailors-at-heart. :)
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