Day7:
8pm local 02:00UTC
pos 08deg43S 100deg37W
course 262deg directly to Fatu Hiva
2224 miles to go, 13-14 days at current average speed of 7knots Fuel hours available: 88 Should be a 180 mile day !!! (straight line charted distance) We are out of the squally weather and the sea has moderated to 'just rough'. The wind is a consistent 15 knot SE since midnight last night. Hallelujah. Still sailing with one reef in the main as shimmi still rolls around and the boom still swings from side to side occasionally. I have not touched the sails for almost 24hrs. If the sea moderates more tomorrow we will shake out the reef and maybe fly the spinnaker. Some time last night (not sure when) we caught something huge on the sole pink feather which i troll at night on a 300 pound monofilament hand line (i have 5 of these handlines). This morning I found a snapped bungee cord and a snapped 300 pound monofilament line with no lure. I rig my handlines so that they are tied off to a cleat and then onto a bungee with a bit of slack to absorb the initial strike. It works, i previously caught a small marlin, big sailfish and a big wahoo on this system. Its the only way to fish whilst cruising as we cant stop the boat to deal with a normal rod and reel set up. Last night's fish must have first pulled the bungee tight which eventually snapped, then the load went onto the 300 pound mono which also snapped ???!? This whole unwitnessed spectacle could all have happened within seconds or after towing the fish for a few hours... who knows. My guess is a massive 3497 pound blue fin tuna. Then again maybe Andy sawed through the bungee and the mono with a bread knife just to fuck with my head.
Andy is feeling way better, he even looked after Josh for a few hours (they watched Mr Incredible on dvd) this arvo whilst Indie, Chantal and I had a glorious pass out. Last night was a hell night with super rough seas throwing shimmi around whilst Josh threw up in his bed, then on the saloon cushions, then in our bed during three separate incidents. This morning the aftdeck is a jumble of sheets, pyjamas, pillow cases, duvet covers. Not sure when or how these will be washed. We will just have to wait for the next instalment of squalls. This morning Josh is fine, he is eating properly, holding the food down. Spirits on board are much higher today, the past 3 days was a real test. I've come up with a new term: Xtreme Parenting. It kind of sums it up would'nt you say?
Chonny's version
TRADE WINDS HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED after 4 days of hellish nasty weather that pushed us all to the limits. And guess what, the roughest night was last night and Josh's tummy decided it didn't like it's dinner and for the first time in all his 4 years he proceeded to projectile vomit and sit on the loo working his way through 2 sets of linen and a few sets of pygamas. Finally at 1.30am Gideon and Josh slept on the floor in the saloon. Andy was on watch from 12 - 4am but I was up and down checking on the sails as it just felt like the bloody mast was going to snap. And now here we are at the end of the day able to write an e-mail after a lovely dinner feeling like we might actually make it out the other end. I mean we wanted to do this. It was our choice. We know we are a better family for it. But my lord the sacrifice.
