Pacific Crossing Day 19: It’s Just Awesome Out Here

I woke up every 30 minutes last night in a panic, convinced I was hours late relieving Ray at the helm. It was still dark when I started my typically mid-sunrise shift. I’ve never been more confused about the time than I have been out here. Another night of sailing has come and gone. We used our main and jib, the waves boosting our speed as Sabado surfs toward Hiva Oa. The wind lightened up, and, in combination with the sea state, we found ourselves back to dealing with slatting sails. The sound alone is irritating, but the accelerated wear and tear on the sails has us wincing with every slam. 

There was a period of calmer seas during Ray’s watch shift, and he took the opportunity to slow the boat down and run the watermaker. Thank goodness he did because today was hot and sunny, and we were sweaty and gross. We triple-reefed the main and pulled the gennaker out just before lunch, easing the halyard more than usual per some advice we received.

It worked great, but we had to furl it in shortly after because of the sea state. We just couldn’t keep it full when the boat rolled. Would this be an issue with an A2 as well? I’d love to know before we spend thousands of dollars on one. We’re pretty confident the root of the problem is Lagoon’s stipulation against flying a headsail without the main up on the boats with aft set masts (42, 46, 50, 52, etc.). We’re discussing adding a running backstay to our rig in the future. 

Today is my mom’s birthday. She is undoubtedly part of the Sabado crew, constantly supporting our wild adventures and even getting into the thick of it herself. This is a photo of her helping rebuild our generator’s raw water pump while visiting us in Grenada, and handling lines for us through the Panama Canal! 

She is also the master craftswoman behind our spiffy fender and winch covers and most recently designed these blue bumpers to keep our dinghy from rubbing up against the davits (you can see where we’ve had to patch the chaps in the past!). We are so lucky to have her in our lives, and so is Sabado. 

We FaceTimed her from the helm to wish her a happy birthday. Video chatting from the middle of the Pacific Ocean is mind-blowing; thank you, Starlink! Mom, we love you! 

We stuck with the jib for the rest of the day, periodically bringing it out onto a barber hauler when appropriate. I did a produce inspection and some cleaning this afternoon before taking a much-needed shower. For all my foodies out there: we’re still eating fresh fruit and veggies on day 19- baby bok choy, curly leaf parsley, squash, snow peas, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, passion fruit, apples, etc. 

It feels glorious to be clean again. We ate dinner together in the cockpit, chatting about what we missed on land- spoiler alert: there’s nothing! We always hear about people missing bars or restaurants, hiking, or the smell of grass, but honestly, I think we’d be happy out here forever. We thoroughly enjoy the ocean and each other’s company, and the challenges we’ve faced have only enriched our experience. To quote Ray, “It’s just awesome out here.”