By 0100 yesterday morning, the wind and seas were steadily picking up and it officially became uncomfortable. The waves are steep and sharp, which is not a pleasant motion to start with, and they are incredibly close together. So, the boat will be riding over three or four waves at a time, making the boat move multiple directions at once. It is constant and not good. On the bright side (literally), the moon is half full and giving off a lot of light, making visibility good.

By 1000, it had gotten a little better, but no much. Winds were down to 7 10 knots real on the nose, but the waves hadn’t calmed down as much as the wind. But that little bit of improvement made it more tolerable to be aboard. It was sunny and bright out.

At 1300, we passed the Prime Meridian. We are now back in the western hemisphere. Another milestone indicating we are getting closer to home.

The wind didn’t change much for the rest of the day. The seas slowly but surely got better all day, and when we say slowly, we mean it. By 1900, the ride was actually pretty good. By midnight it was very smooth. Thank God.

By 0300 this morning, the wind had shifted to our rear and was down to one knot. The ride was fabulous, like floating along on silk. The moon was half full and vibrant, the light brightly reflecting off the smooth water to make visibility excellent. About 0315, the moon set. As it got lower in the sky, it went from white to gold to a yellow orange as it dipped into the water. It was so beautiful. Once the moon was gone, millions of stars lit up in the sky. They reflected on the water, and the bioluminescence was sparkling like diamonds. It was pretty spectacular.

By 1000, the wind had picked up to 3 – 8 knots real and shifted to our starboard beam. Our magical ride was gone, but the waves are small and following, so it is still a good ride.

By 2000, the wind had Continue reading →