Yesterday the conditions were identical to what we last reported. We were loving life, thinking it couldn’t get any better. But then it did! Early this morning the wind died completely, leaving the ocean smooth and glassy. The clouds in the sky were reflected on the water. The swell was still there, but with the wind chop gone, the ride was smoother. It stayed calm until sunset. Then the light wind returned and conditions went from fabulous back down to only really good. And, Eric saw a Leopard shark, which was icing on the cake.

Our only complaint is that it is hot. All the windows, doors and hatches are open and the fans are on, so we are well ventilated. It is just really darn hot outside. Even at 01:00 in the morning, just sitting quietly, your clothes are soaked with sweat.

It is time to answer a blog question:

Q: What meals do you prepare on board and what have you learned from that with preparation, provisioning, storage, etc.
A: We’ve talked about food for passages in several postings. The post entitled “Getting Ready to Leave Tahiti“ has some specific information about what food we like to eat at sea and why. In port we prepare pretty much the same food that we ate in San Diego. We have always eaten a lot of fish and rice, so we have not had to alter our normal eating habits at all since leaving.
You can get provisioning tips a zillion other places. “The Cruising Chef” by Michael Greenwald is a good resource for stocking your kitchen. Here are some things that we found particularly pertinent:
“¢ We got some “green bags” that keep produce fresher longer.
“¢ Always soak produce in bleach/zap flour in microwave to prevent bugs on board.
“¢ We got a pressure cooker, which is good for meat and potato types of dishes.
“¢ Vacuum sealers are useful, and not just for food.
“¢ Eggs from free range chickens last six months in the refrigerator despite what the expiration date says, and hatchery eggs only last a month, just like the date says.
“¢ Mexican beer leaks, whether bottles or cans never store Mexican beer on its side.
“¢ It is a good idea to load up on heavy things, like beverages, at home while you still have a car. Carrying groceries a few kilometers in a town with no public transportation is a way of life, and it sucks when the groceries are heavy.
“¢ Meat doesn’t look all that good in most of the places we stopped in the South Pacific (except Vanuatu), so if you eat a lot of meat, you probably want to stock up before you go.

And other random tips:
“¢ Pledge (wood polish) and carpet cleaner are hard to find in the South Pacific.
“¢ Salomon water sneakers are a must have for any cruiser.
“¢ Wet/Dry vacuums are great.
“¢ Women should have several below the knee length skirts and shirts without cleavage and short sleeves for traveling in the Pacific and Indonesia. In many places the locals are offended by exposing the upper leg and shoulders. In these cultures women do not wear pants, only skirts.
“¢ Get a LED headlight so you can use both your hands. They last a long time on a set of batteries.