Sunday, April 3, 2011

Sunday Mornings in the ITCZ

Day 12!
Woke up to beautiful, tropical cloud formations, having slept through the rain squall! The clouds are the type which you see in everyone's slide shows of the south Pacific! Tall, columnar, billowy, dark in the center with silver edges illuminated by the sun. Each one looks like it holds more rain to me! Who knows, hidden in their depths could also be lightening and thunder- which could or could not send me scurrying back to bed! Really! How much awesomeness can one take?!

The sea has been glassy smooth for the last two nights with wide, rolling swells of about two feet. It has made for perfect sleeping and the ability to do other things about the cabin like cooking (without spilling and being tossed about or things flying off of the stove top), showering (without the water coming out of the shower hose sideways)dusting and sweeping (yes, lots o dust even way out here)and... I hope... laundry! Yes, today is the day I am going to get out my Wonder Washer and dress ship in clean laundry all over the life lines! We will look like a gypsy caravan (or the Clampett's)! i just hope it will dry in this 80% humidity...

We talk to other Puddle Jumpers on our radio net every night. Their are lots of boats that have just crossed the equator and each day another boat makes it into port at Hiva Oa. There are also several boats that are still sitting in Banderas Bay waiting for a weather window- there is evidently NO WIND along the Mexican coast right now. We know of two boats flopping from side to side in four foot swells about 500 miles off of Mainland Mexido. There are several boats who are bracing for twelve foot seas that are headed south from the Pacific off of Nor Cal. I don't know how but we seemed to have hit our weather window just right! The first days were rough but they got us out into the Trade Winds and down to the equator zone. Now we have light wind BUT no convection and the ITCZ is calma! We figure we will motor to 1 or 2 degrees south (South!) and then be able to pick up the southern ocean trade winds.

Just finished a wonderful huevos rancheros Sunday brunch a la Neal! He had all four burners going on our stove! You are probably dressed in your finest for a trip to brunch, church, Costco, Anderson's Nursery OR you are still in your jamies doing The New York Times crossword! Personally, I am headed for my boat-cat spot and a crossword! I will do the laundry later!

R of Rutea
04.57.55 North
128.20.25 West
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At 4/3/2011 4:52 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 04°59.10'N 128°19.18'W

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1 comment:

  1. I found you on my map. You are sure out in a big blank space on my map!

    ReplyDelete