In the last twenty-four hours, we have not had anything break! Since yesterday afternoon we have had full main and genoa flying, and even though the winds have remained moderate our speed has been considerably higher than in the previous two days. Seas continue to flatten, the winds are coming less from the north and more from the west, and we are on course. Our latitude is 37deg 49min N (the same as the Golden Gate Bridge!), and our longitude is 156deg 49min W (1,628 nautical miles west of the GG Bridge). We will be sailing still further north in order to get through/around the Pacific High, but from this point our course is at least as much east as it is north.
With conditions sunny and pleasant, we have been spending more time on-deck. We have seen several albatrosses, dark and with a six-foot wingspan, flying and floating near by. We are puzzled by another object we often see floating by. This looks like a grapefruit with stubby tentacles, or perhaps like a large flower with eght to ten petals. The round central body floats partially out of the water, with the short tentacles hanging below. It is probably a jellyfish or something similar, but we haven’t seen anything like it before. It has proven difficult to get a recognizable photo of this, but we keep trying.
Last night we had the first of our Mahi-Mahi for dinner, baked and served over rice. This morning Phil made pancakes. We may not lose as much weight as we had anticipated on this trip!
Attached is a photo of VALIS, sailing this morning over calm seas and under sunny skies, and with laundry drying on our special vertical clothesline (otherwise known as a flag halyard).
Regards,
VALIS