32.27.367N 134.33.375W

If there are any among the readers that are doing the math, you'll have figured out by now that this has not been the typical bash across the ocean. This has been a SLOOOWW drifting, bobbing, dawdle that just doesn't suit a big ol tank like VALIS But, if you're going to be barely creeping across the face of the Pacific, best do it in style, and that we are doing. Lasagna and salad tonight for supper was delicious. I think I'm gaining weight because Rich had a taste for chocolate when he did the provision shopping..

Last night the clouds broke a little and we got a spectacular moon on a glassy sea. Would rather have had a wave-torn chaotic maelstrom, but it was a pretty sight. Reminded me for all the world of Greer's Ferry in the wee hours after all the motorboats have gone to sleep. It was so still we dropped sails so they wouldn't drive us nuts just banging in the swell. The racers on the radio are joking about spending Christmas together in Kaneohe instead of having our big party in July.

Lots of sun today. Light breeze and the chute up most of the day means we'll likely top yesterday's record low 50 mile effort, but not by a lot. Weather is warmer, water temp is over 70 and so air temp stays up too. A couple of light showers sort of rinsed things off. I packed away the wool underwear today in a duffel that won't be opened until I get to laundry facilities, which was a gratifying little chore.

Most of y'all are probably looking at the tracker, which gives you the impression that we are a tidy little fleet chugging across the sea. In actuality, we can't see each other. Occasionally, you'll cross paths with a competitor, but for the vast majority of the time, it's just us. We saw one boat a few days ago that passed within a mile. One more was a spec on the horizon, and the final sighting was only possible at night as we could glimpse the masthead light of a competitor who was hull down in the sea over the horizon. Sitting on deck, you can see something the size of a sailboat up to maybe 3-4 miles away. A huge cargo ship, maybe 6 miles. But a 6 mile circle doesn't cover much of an ocean this big, so to our eyes, it's empty. No boats, ships, planes, nothing.

Well I've gotta go look at water for the next 3 hours and there's a nice sunset about to go off.

Whiskey Delta Bravo 2898 VALIS out