Position: 19°45.9’N 157°00.8’W | Course: 310° | Speed: 6.2 kn
We had to make the choice last night to abandon our plan of heading for the north/east side of the islands and instead set course for the west, due to wind conditions that were very different from our weather report. We chose the more certain route — even though we knew there would be no sailable wind — because it meant covering 45 miles less.
Sailing on this voyage has been amazing. We had a lot of catching up to do, and we really did it. Our one day of 208 miles in 24 hours was definitely a fluke, but as we close in on Oahu, we can now say that we’ve spent 12 days and some hours at sea. In that time, we’ve covered over 2,200 miles! That gives us an average of more than 180 miles per day — truly remarkable. And this team was up for the challenge!
Brad carried a small tiki in his pocket every day. I had my honu next to my pillow, a tiki close by and one in the cupboard. Bob kept his tiki at his fingertips when needed — so we all pitched in!
Now, with just under 100 miles to go, we’re starting to look forward to land. This morning we spotted the first sign of it between some showers. It disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared — the Big Island of Hawaii.
After that, we caught glimpses throughout the day. Now, during the night, we see nothing. It’s very dark all around.
We also had our first pod of dolphins in quite a while! A smaller species, they stayed close to the ship (but not too close) for nearly an hour. Brad and Michelle got some great shots of them at the bow. Picture of the day, however, was won by Floris: our last bit of sailing!
And of course — it was Sunday! So: a group picture of our team in their best outfits. We had a beer, talked about our current water shortage due to watermaker troubles, and then Gijs sent a message from home. Apparently, a canoe is underway to Hawaii to raise awareness about water usage in the Netherlands. Team Ocean — four people in a big rowboat. Back home, the average Dutch person uses 129 liters per day. We’re well below that on board! On the rowing boat, they survive on just 8 liters a day. That might be pushing it…
In any case, we’re nearly in Honolulu, where both water and parts should be easily obtained. And this team — they weather it like no other.
All is well on board,
Jet
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