In the Doldrums

0800 Position 3-53N 131-49W. Days run 186 miles.

We haven't been fishing every day. When the trades were up it would have been a pain to handle and clean fish on the stern so we didn't put the lines out. The seas were down yesterday morning though, so three lines went out at sunrise. At 9AM the boys woke me up from a deep sleep with yells of "fish on!" We had sailed through a school of mahi mahi and had a triple hook up. We only wanted the biggest though so Longy pulled the smallest mahi aboard, got the hook out, and released him. The one on "Hilo Boy", Longy's custom big island lure, threw the hook just as I was getting mine close to the boat. I pulled the fish on my Fred Morelli special lure in and swung it aboard in a single motion. It hit Longy right in the chest, thoroughly sliming him, and dropped into the cockpit.

It is still an official tie on the fishing tournament. I do have the edge in spectator appreciation points though for the way my fish was landed. The mahi dinner was delicious. We have decided that perhaps we should be putting out a single fish line. We've had two triple strikes so far and only want one fish at a time. That will complicate the fishing tournament.

To our surprise the wind stayed with us and the weather was fair all day long. At 6PM we sailed into a stationary band of confused clouds and rain, but the wind continued to blow out of the north east. Wind strength varied a bit, but we were able to keep sailing until 7AM this morning when it died completely. We are now under power in 100% overcast with rain squalls all around us. Occasionally on of those squalls hits us and we get a thorough drenching. This is typical ITCZ.

The ITCZ is much further south than I have experienced in my previous crossings. These conditions will likely continue for about a day before we leave it behind and enter the south east trades.