Day 3 Fatu-Hiva to Tuamotus (Faaite)
7pm, 0500UTC
pos 15deg03.54S, 143deg34.35W
96.6 miles to Raraka Atoll
What a crazy day. At sunrise we were still sailing with one reef in the main. Conditions were dodgy with a slowly increasing SE wind and a building sea coming onto the port beam. By 12pm the wind was solid 15 knots and we were shunting along at 8-9 knots with plenty double figure surges. By 5pm the wind was 20 knots and still showing no signs of letting up. Shimmi's weather helm even with one reef in the main was a handful. Our speed topped out a 14.5 knots, shimmi was like a runnaway train, going like a speedboat with a trail of white foam behind us, Trevor I wish you were here, it was quite something. We decided on another reef before sunset, ended up having to drop the main completely as the topping lift had wrapped around the starboard shroud. Nothing a sharp knife could not fix. So here we are, 2 reefs in the main, genoa on 1st reef and we are still doing 8-9 knots, today will surely be a record milage day for us, close to 190 or 200 miles even. But the sea is rough, we are sailing across the path of the se trades and the massive fetch which stretches over 4000 miles behind them. So yes, with a fetch like that you cant expect a milk pond.
Hopefully we will arrive at Raraka before sunset tomorrow so we can put the pick down and SLEEP. The helm seat right is HOT, either my butt or Andy's is in it at all times. And right now shimmi is a handful.
Au revoir
G
