Galapagos to Marquesas Day 22

The wind returned with a vengeance about midnight last night and has stayed high all day today. It has been as high as 26 but swinging from 10 to 20 mostly. We are taking turns this afternoon hand steering trying to optimize our speed and direction. If this keeps up we can make it in on Good Friday. I'm not sure if anyone will be working that day to check us in.

Luc and Jackie will be our BPO reps for French Polynesia and are already in Hiva Oa with the few boats that have already arrived. It has been exciting to read their emails with their plans for us. There are lots of logistics to be worked out also. We need to post a bond in the amount of a return airfare (or but a refundable ticket) which will be returned when we leave. We will be visiting 3 or 4 islands in the group.

We got a brief email from Jimmy Cornell saying that he has had to turn around and make a trip home for a family emergency. His boat, Aventura, was 220nm out of Panama on the way to Tahiti. He will still meet us there in May by plane. Also, our route onward from the Pacific looks more like it will be around Africa. We will be interested in finding out in Tahiti what that will mean for us on the timing of the trip.

We should be able to get our gmail using the new sat phone but our account is blocked for some reason. We'll have to work that out when we have an internet connection. We are getting the sailmail emails fine.

Looking forward to solid ground, a walk, a shower, fresh food, a full night's sleep, and a beer.