July 28 Position Report

7/28/14 Wandering Dolphin POS

0800 Hawaiian Standard Time +1 / 1700 GMT
N42 05.92 W153 06.50
COG 080T
SOG 4.5-5kt
DMG X48hours 205 nautical miles
DTG (wpt changed for more direct route) 1319 nautical miles

Wind: NE 6-8
Pressure: 30.00
Temp: 75F (bet it's 60 with wind chill off this water)
Sky: Overcast fourth day in a row
Seas: almost calm
Sails: Full Genoa and Stays'l

Good Morning,
Sorry we missed a report yesterday.  The night before last had been a tough night because the wind moved around to the NE which is our destination heading, then it started blowing 20 knots plus and raining, and of course it was cold.  When the wind comes around to a close hauled heading we have to remove all of our cockpit cover and rain protection (the traveler runs through the cockpit so when the main sheet is in tight we cannot put up our connector between the dodger and the bimini).  Once we got it all set up it was all bad news.  We could go east but lose to the south or tack and gain north but lose to the west.  We tried both tacks for a while to see which might be most advantageous and chose the NNW track until morning when we tacked and went ESE.  The wind died in the late morning and we motored.  The same wind has been blowing lightly ever since and it will periodically drop altogether for a few hours and we pull in the sails and motor for a while.  It is all rather frustrating.  The kids have liked it because when we run the engine they get to play the Xbox.

I have heard dolphins squeaking around the boat for the past two nights.  They must be near the surface or on the surface because it's pretty loud.  There have been no other wildlife sightings other than the little birds and an occasional albatross.

The water in our tanks is ice cold now.  The kids have all their clothes on and wear their blankets around like Indians (they probably got the idea from watching Lonesome Dove).

Yesterday Becky made homemade biscuits and gravy. (Thanks for the rolled biscuit recipe Cave!).  It warmed us all up and warmed the boat up with the oven too.  We're gonna have to have some more baking in order to keep the boat warm!

So this morning I decided to take a shower... Our shower is one of those camping showers set up on the Bimini.  It was filled when we left Hawaii and I'm sure it was so hot from the sun at different times that it might have burned me... but this morning... When I was backpacking in the Wind River Range in Wyoming I took a bath in a glacier fed creek.  My shower this morning was that cold!  It sure felt great while my teeth were chattering and goose pimples were raised all over my body to pull on my polar fleece and feel the instant relief of warmth.  Becky also made me a hot cocoa.  Wow!  See!  You don't get to experience that EVER in the tropics.

While writing this the wind died away again and I had to pull in the jib and start the engine again.  See that is our battle right now.

I think I am going to go make an omelette.

The messages have slowed down... Sorry we are so boring but that gives you a real idea of what most days are like out here.  If you have questions or things you would like me to tell you about please send us messages and I will answer them in the next report.

Have a Great Day!
Captain Tofer