Dec 12
It’s 10:21 a.m. and I just got out of my bunk! Up a lot last night, every hour to pump the bilge and then a couple of sail changes.
Claire and I have been listening to pod casts and talking while lying in our bunks. West Wind II is sailing along at 6 kts into 15-20 kts of wind about 120 miles from the entrance to the Bay of Islands (BoI). Should be in around noon Monday. Miss you a lot and wish you were here to talk to. Lots of thoughts about the situation that is unfolding.
On one of the sail changes around 1:30 am I sat in the cock pit after I finished the reefing and thought I saw a ship’s light astern of us. As is my custom, I took in all the amazing surroundings, the sea running with white horses, WW II beating assuredly into the waves, and stars shining from the edge of the sea all the way up to high overhead. As I sat and watched, the ship’s light rose into the sky and turned into the planet Venus ever brighter as it ascended. Later in the morning around 3:30 I had the opportunity again to spend time after taking two more reefs to watch the sun chase the stars out of the sky and light the few long clouds on the horizon on fire .
WW II is on starboard tack now with double reefed main and jib moving along purposefully towards New Zealand. We are headed a little south of the way point at the entrance to BoI and I am hoping when the wind shifts to southwest this afternoon, we will tack and lay the way point. Claire is knitting and Paul Simon is singing Cool Cool River. We are getting used life in our ship sailing across the ocean rising and falling with each wave.
LAT: 34-14’S
LONG: 178-47’E
Course: 217 T
Speed: 5.5 kts
Wind: NW 10
Waves: 1 meter
Cloud Cover: 75%
Range to Bay of Islands: 237 NM
Temp: 20 degrees
Distance sailed last 24 hrs: 145 NM
