Half Way!

0800 Position 10-04N 129-36W. Days run 223 miles.

The LA to Tahiti Race rhumb line is very close to the rhumb line for this passage. When I sailed in the Tahiti Race in '76 rumor had it that at the midpoint of the race we would be as far from dry land as you could possibly be on the surface of planet earth. We crossed the half way point on this passage yesterday, and a quick look at the chart showed our position to be about 1,300 miles from the nearest land. You don't want to fall overboard here. It is a long swim to shore.

When Rob announced that we had reached the mid-point for the trip, I busted out the crew gifts that Lori and Betty Lou had picked up for us. Each crew member received his very own back scratcher. Thank you, ladies! The girls figured we'd be dirty, crusty, and itchy by now and that we wouldn't be scratching each others' backs. They got some laughs from the boys.

The past twenty four hours has seen us reaching along in strong trade winds with headsail and jib set. Average speed was more than nine knots for the day which is pretty good for a cruising boat. We reefed the mainsail just before dark which made it easier for the auto pilot to steer. The swells have increased and we are surfing on them now. That makes it fun to drive the boat so some of the guys have been hand steering during their watches. Top speed so far is 14.2 knots when Bill Barsz was driving.

This morning's flying fish count on deck was eighteen, including one that hit Bill in the head while he was driving and one that came through the bathroom hatch.

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