Captain's Log - Panama 🇵🇦 to French Polynesia🇵🇫
27 day, 7 hours. 4043 nautical miles/7488 kms
Day 0. - 21nm jog downwind from La Playita to Otoque island. Arrived at 6.30pm and beef stirfry. No incidents
Day 1 Tuesday 18th March. Departed Otoque at 0730. Wing on wing triple reefed main, double reefed Genoa. Massive current up the bum so doing 9 knots over ground in 12 knots apparent wind. True wind 16-22 knots. Flat seas. Dolphins escorted us out. 🍾
Day 2 Wednesday 19th March. 183nm day yesterday! Flying with 2 knots of current up the bum. Crew is going well. Chicken stew leftovers last night. Currently 7am boat time and 15-20 knots DDW. Surfing along at 8 knots.
Day 3 Thursday March 20th. Still 2 knots of current behind us but the wind has died for the moment to below 10knots apparent. Seas have died down to below 1m. 195nm yesterday😳. Position 3.17.3 82.44.12 at 0700. The crew are settling into a routine and seem to now be sleeping properly. I am still sick but it is manageable - just annoying. I’ve just put the fishing rods out for the first time but we don’t really need fish - more the entertainment value. Morale good. Smooth sailing.
Day 4 Friday 21st March. 1.47.1 ; 84.23.93. Smooth sailing after a rolly night. In the swing of it now. 12 knots apparent at 150 and averaging around 5.5 knots SOG. No fish yet.
Day 5 Saturday 22nd March. 0.19.9; 86.9.3. Still no fish. I’m still sick. The crew suck at cards. All is well in the world. Cancel that - Liz got a mahi this morning and I have pulled in the lines
Day 6 Sunday 23rd March. 0700. 1.11.4; 88.10.5. Just east of Galapagos. Still brilliant sailing. Still sick but hopeful I’ve turned the corner. First little squalls last night - a good learning experience for the crew. Overcast and grey, with batteries below 50%, but I expect to be motoring this evening. A pair of boobies are on the bow, but not the good kind. Oh - we crossed the equator yesterday! Lovely little ceremony with presents and rum and ceviche.
Day 7. Monday 24th March. 2.45.36; 79.42.97. South of Galapagos and close hauled at 245 in 13 knots apparent at 60 degrees. Big sky morning. Motored for 7 hours overnight, mostly to make power and water. Tanks now full ( and leaking 😠) and batteries back to 70%. 935nm sailed in the last 6 days for an average of 156nm/day. Pretty impressive
Day 8. 3.30.22; 91.34.06. Squally night but mostly just drizzle and distant sheet lightning. 2 bonito yesterday, returned. Slower now but we will be in steady trades in 2 days - just need to clear the ITCZ. Boobies on the bow. Squid on the deck. Shit on the solar panels. All is well in the world.
Day 9. 4.51.96; 92.29.29. Wet night! I fucked up and took my eye off the job when we were playing cards, and we and the washing got unnecessarily wet. Doofus. It hung around all night, so three drowned rats. Motoring since about 1630 yesterday when we stopped for a swim. Likely to be motoring all day until we find the wind. A few fishing boats last night - a long way from home. Sails out at 1530. The sweet sound of silence
Day 10 Thursday 27 March 0700. Gorgeous sailing conditions, bean reaching at 245 with 14 knots in relatively flat seas equals 6-7 SOG. We are firmly in the trades now so I will turn down to 265 when the sun rises to make it a direct course from here to Hiva Oa. May need the pole to combat the roll. Today we will start to catch fish. Maybe a curry? Lunchtime update. Chicken and lentil quesadillas. 1 massive bonito. 1 baby mahi. 1 squall. Washing done. Fridge cleaned. Oh and we caught a booby and ate chicken curry.
Day 11 Friday 28 March 0700. 6.38.1; 96.13.7. Still scooting along in the trades. Liz copped a shower last night but other than that just high cloud. Morale is good. I’m going to get serious about putting some fish on the deck today - we have the fridge space. No fish but one small mahi released. Lizzy salad for dinner 🤤
Day 12 Saturday 29 March 1130. 6.57.2; 99.4.6. Sun is out, which is good because the batteries are very low and the water tanks are empty. Lost a big tuna this morning - nearly spooled and lure gone. Caught another skipjack and lost another lure. If this keeps up I’m going to start eating the bastards…. Big wahoo landed at 5pm. Great teamwork by the crew. Now we have to stop fishing as everything is full. Oh well. 60% batteries at 8pm but ran the water maker for 2 hours as we are nearly out. Only 8 hours on the new membranes so far.
Day 13 Sunday 30 March. 0730. 7.29.8; 100.54.4. Very rolly night with minimal sleep. Weather is supposed to build for the next few days. Seas are pretty messy. Currently 20 knots True wind from SE. Motor sailing @ 1800rpm just to charge for 2.5 hrs. 1728 miles sailed to date in 288.5 hrs = 6 knots average. Broke the autopilot pin at 1230. Quick fix, but concerning.
Day 14. Monday 31 March 0630. 7.42.7; 103.26.4. 1880 miles sailed, 2140 miles to go - halfway party tomorrow! Rolly night but getting used to locking myself into the bed. Flying along at 7+ knots, triple reefed in 25 knots true. Breeze is actually kinda cold. Wind slowly decreasing at sunset but seas still confused. Have shaken a reef out of the Genoa for nighttime. Lizzy’s first fish curry - yum!
Day 15 Tuesday 1 April 0700. 7.47.5; 106.8,7. We passed halfway a couple of hours ago. Downhill sleigh ride for another fortnight and we are there. Still flying along in 20 knots true. Went wing on wing mid afternoon, which is roller but faster. Sail spotted at dinner time. Nanuka has been out here for 22 days! We will likely rendezvous in the morning
Day 16 Wednesday 2 April 0800. 7.56.4; 108.22.3. Nearly dawn. No visual or radar signature on Nanuka. Will make a call when Liz wakes as to whether we hang around and wait or take off. Currently drifting with no sail at 3 knots. Met Nanuka at midday and gifted them fish, oranges and brownies. Now flying wing on wing at 280 in 20-25 true.will head marginally north tonight and then drop the pole and go port tack tomorrow as the weather builds.
Day 17 Thursday 3rd April. 7.42.4; 110.32.6 2300 miles down, ~1700 to go. Racing the Easter moon. Motor sailing for 4 hours this morning to charge and make water. Playing frogger through the rain squalls all day but we are doing hull speed triple reefed. It’s going to be blowy for the next 48 hours. Epic rendang stir fry combo for dinner.
Day 18 Friday 4th April. 8.6.3; 112.52.0. 2445 miles down, 1555 to go. 25 knots from 150 = triple reefed hull speed. Wet day yesterday so batteries down to 37%. Motor sailing for 4 hours now to rebuild charge. Very windy and rolly day - we are flying at over 7 knots. Corned beef hash dinner. Sleepless night.
Day 19 Saturday 5th April. 8.21.6; 115.37.9. 2611nm travelled. Stars are out and seas and wind have settled to 20 knots and 3m.
Good sailing all day. Still triple reefed at 9pm (sunset) doing 7 knots in 19 apparent at 120. Spag bog for dinner.
Day 20 Sunday 6th April. 8.49.3; 118.19.5. 2774 miles down. Wind and seas are starting to calm - circa 18 knots now. No cloud. Half moon has set. Fishing lines back in for the first time since the wahoo. Caught another wahoo at 4pm. Good teamwork to get it all packed away. Sashimi and ceviche dinner.
Day 21 Monday 7th April. 9.48.3; 120.1.0. Slow night wing on wing at 3.5 knots. Motor sailing now predawn in fairly flat seas. 3pm motoring in glassy seas. Will stop for a swim soon. Swam and clean off goose necked barnacles. Turned off motor at 1930. Water and power full. Wing on wing at 3-4 knots overnight @ 270.
Day 22 Tuesday 8th April. 9.52.8; 122.1.0. Wing on wing, wind picking up a little but sea state still lovely and calm. 3.5 knots in 9 apparent heading 260. 8pm update - same as above, but can see the cloud and wind coming. Fish cakes and coleslaw.
Day 23 Wednesday 9th April. 10.8.5; 123.48.9. Wing on wing doing 6 knots in 12 at 270 DDW. Will need to make some northing back at some point. Under 900 miles to go should have us arriving Tuesday afternoon. Pm update - lovely day sailing probably averaging 5.5 knots. Potatoes and bolognese.
Day 24 Thursday 10th April. 10.27.7; 126.25.5. Scooting along double reefed at 6-7 knots in 20 knots true. She’s in her groove. Pm update - variable winds all day. Currently doing 7 knots plus in 18 apparent. Double reefed on both sails - I should probably put another reef in.
Day 25 Friday 11th April. 9.55.8; 128.55.0. Rain and rolly last night but lovely now. Doing 6.5 with 3 & 2 reefs in 13 knots apparent. I found a gecko! 🤯. Pm update - shaken one reef out of the Genoa and still doing 6 knots in 12 apparent. Wind should die a little tonight. Savoury mince and rice.
Day 26 Saturday 12th April. 9.37.4; 131.4.5. Bobbing along in mid 5s. Sea state calming. Stars and big full moon. Pm update - lovely day but a little slow. Will catch a fish tomorrow. Leftovers.
Day 27 Sunday 13th April. 9.32.9; 133.12.1. Found some wind and doing 6-7 in 15 apparent. Broke another autopilot pin last night at 3.30am. Not sure why - maybe just overuse as she’s been working hard for a month now. We should still be able to sneak in before dusk on Tuesday. Tuna procured at lunchtime. It’s Japanese night! Tuna 5 ways.
Day 28 Monday 14th April. 9.54.8; 136.51.3. Pm update because I forgot this morning. Overcast and intermittent rain. Motored for 8 hours this morning to make water and power did arrival tomorrow. 129nm to go. Doing 6-7 in 15-20knots at 270. Arrival tomorrow afternoon.
Day 29 Tuesday 15th April. 9.55.2; 138.3.7. Flying at 8 knots in 25 true, triple reefed with 2m seas. Not a bad way to finish! Lizzy got drowned on her watch and Ruairi was dry. Lightning in the distance but so far so good. 58nm to go. Pm update - 1230 boat time, 8am local. 18nm and 3 hours to go. Rolly but fast. Lines are out for one last fish but it’s unlikely in this sea state.
0930 - Last 10 miles and a dolphin escort ☺️ 28 days, 7.5 hours. Liz wins the arrival time to within 30 minutes. Arrived 11am local time. 4043 miles. 190L of fuel (72 hrs motoring). 1 bag of rubbish. Zero vomit.
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