South Pacific "00:06.77S 88:02.35W"

VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Wed 28 Mar 2012 15:51
Well, we've made it. We crossed the Equator at 87.54W at 0640 hrs local time (1340BST) and we're now in the Southern Hemisphere for the next couple of years. Here we are 'crossing the line' with a celebratory drink of pear cider (should have been champagne of course, but due to a miscalculation of the ship's stores it turned out that we'd drunk the last bottle at some already forgotten time in the past). 
 
 
It's actually hot and sunny, but we didn't set the camera up right.
Tradition demands that people crossing the equator by sea for the first time should be subject to a rite of passage. I'm exempt, having crossed twice as a child, but Alison wasn't. Modern custom demands a celebratory can of cold baked beans poured over the head but for some unknown reason Alison decided to break with seafaring tradition on this one occasion, more's the pity.
 
We continue to make slow but steady progress towards Galapagos )our worst day has been 60 miles in 24 hours) but the end is now in sight. Landfall at Santa Cruz expected either at dusk tomorrow or dawn on Friday.