22 August - On the Freeway

0600 position 23-11S 168-59W. Day's run 155 miles.

The wind continued backing and building, and at 630AM we jybed to
starboard tack, still running wing and wing. We put a reef in the
mainsail shortly thereafter, and by 9AM the pole was down and we were
broad reaching heading slightly south of east. Just after the noon watch
change a big squall rolled through, so we put a second reef in the
mainsail and rolled up some jib anticipating an increase in the wind. The
wind, about twenty knots, hit with the rain of the squall and we scooted
off toward Raivavae. We have been screaming along on a broad reach ever
since. The apparent wind is right on the beam and goes up and down with
the squalls. We have been rolling the jib in and out to compensate for
the changes in wind strength but have stayed with two reefs in the
mainsail.

It is cold down here. As I write this I am wearing two sweatshirts,
shorts over long underwear bottoms, wool bunny slippers, and a skiing hat.
No icebergs sighted yet, but we are keeping an eye out.

It is hard to believe that we are running before a southwest wind towards
the east in the tropical South Pacific. This isn't supposed to happen.
The current forecasts indicate that we should have wind from the western
quadrant for the next five days. Somebody pinch me.