18’18.8S 140’25.9W course 334′ speed 4,6kn
The last 24 hours we have had wind, showers, waves and more wind. But now, since two or three hours, we have sailed out of a stronger wind area and into calmer waters. Steering is no longer a combination of surfing and steering, but has become a lazy mans job, that can be done with one finger. What a difference! From a shaking, growling machine, speeding along with 10 sometimes 11 knots, we are now a sunday afternoon yacht, well balanced and stable in the water.
The waves had build up to about 3 or 3,5 meters and sometimes they lurched and seemed to want to jump on board. Giving those sitting on the aft a nice salty cool down. Temperatures during the day were still around 24 degrees and the water is also 24 degrees, so not really that cool..
Just before lunch, we reset the mainsail, thinking we were loosing the wind and needed a little more pressure. Which made steering somewhat easier.
We npw have 30 miles left to the entrance of the Amanu atoll. Our speed is slowly decreasing, which is not a problem so far, as we will have to enter the atoll in daylight. Looking forward to exploring this new place, supposedly very different from Le Gambier islands. These islands will not have the elevation Le Gambier had, but rather the palm tree and white sanded beached one sometimes dreams of.
All well on board, Jet
