We are about halfway through this passage timewise , although more than half of the miles have been covered. The wind and seas have stayed high in the right direction so we have made some record breaking distances for us. For us that is a yesterday traveling 46 nm in 6 hr. The rocking was more than I like at the beginning but comfortable enough now to get some work done.
It has been a treat that there is a full moon this week. Despite the cloud cover it is not very dark on night watch. We have settled in to our watch schedules. I sleep 8 to 11:30 in the evening and again starting about 5:30 am. Rob can then sleep 6 hours in the middle and a morning nap later. We always sleep better after the first few days.
The work onboard has been mostly cooking and cleaning. Australia is very strict in their boat inspections expecting it to be clean of all pests and fresh food. Rob scrubbed the bottom scraping off barnacles before we left. I have been emptying cupboards and washing shelves. One dead insect wing, we've heard, is enough to require an expensive fumigation. We're eating all we can but will still have to throw some food overboard. Milk, butter, nuts, canned pork, cereal, are on the banned list.
Tomorrow, Sun, the forecast is to lose all the wind. What little there may be will be varying directions. It would have been a better plan to leave a few days sooner. We will motor that day and hope we can get some travelling under sail in the next days of light winds. Rob and I got the spinnaker up for the first time yesterday with just the two of us so will need to do that again. It is one of the few jobs that involve going on deck.
There have been a number of boobies travelling along with us and the other boats. They keep trying to land on the boat, wind generator, mast and cockpit cover. Three have been injured in the blades and there are lots of droppings on the solar panels and canvas. We were sharing tips on the net last night to scare them off.
The afternoon before leaving Luc took us through the schedule for Indonesia. We will leave Thurs Island, near the Torres Straight, mid Oct for that trip. That will be the next time we have Luc with us. It was exciting to look at the places we will be stopping at. But new challenges as well.
We expect to be in to Australia at least by Thurs. That will seem like a big accomplishment.
A HUGE accomplishment!👍😀
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