20’59.9S 138’2.4W course 333′ speed 8,0 kn
After a bumpy night and a wild ride of a morning, we were ready to put in a gybe at noon watch hand over. With most hands on deck we lowered the mainsail nd the big jib as the wind was getting stronger and stronger. With the two sails secured on deck, we gybed to our new course of 320′. Although this course was much more stable on the waves, it was still very hard for some to steer and so short turns were taken surfing down 3 meter waves. We set the second jib to keep our speed up, this way the waves had less influence on our speed and course.
In the showers the wind increased sometimes up to a force 7bf and at times we were doing 9,5 knots just under reefed mizzen, forestaysail and second jib.
In the meantime we passed Mururoa, an atoll that is completely out of the question to visit, as it was used for atomic bomb testing. Its inhabitants were replaced to other islands and the last of the tests were done as late as the mid 1990`s. That feels so strange just having set sail from paradise, bombing a place like that, with something so nasty as an atom bomb..
We have just passed the island called Vanavana. Clearly visible on the radar, there is not much to see outside in the dark. We are making our way North out of a wind area and to the island called Amanu.
Although we have some showers around, the temperature is very nice. Most of us are in shorts and flipflops with a jacket against the rain. All is well on board, although some are feeling the waves a little too dearly. Steering is going well on this watch, the wind and waves have become more settled and so the going is good.
Jet
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