12:48.77N

153:32.66W

As you can see from our position, we are making good headway south, with our 25 knots wind at 60 degrees apparent to the bow.  Unfortunately this is making for a bumpy ride and everyone is a little quiet  as we move through this.  In about 150 miles, when we get to 10 degrees latitude we expect the wind to soften and things will become smoother, and slower.  Last night David was in the middle of a fancy salmon dish when one particularly big wave sent the boat and David’s salmon flying.  He saved enough of it that we had another very good meal.  I knew it was good to have a food professional on board.

Thoroux’s Paddling through Oceania, is very interesting. A bit disillusioning but sounds like the world in many places, when he describes many of the islands we will visit as beautiful geographically, but legacies of colonialism or immigration leave the people in less than a state of imagined tranquility.  Maybe I should not have read it in advance, but I find him very good and funny.

For those interested, we are sailing with a triple reef and jib reefed down to 100%.
Works well as we do 7-8.5 knots.

I think the crew is having red meat withdrawl symptoms but handling it in good cheer.

babelfish