Thursday, March 19, 2026

Pacific Ocean, 1813NM SW of Catalinia

The night was again a smooth magic carpet ride under the starlit sky. But at dawn things became grey and wind picked up. We tucked in a reef. At 7°30 we made the turn west, wing on wing. This latitude should keep us below worst of the squally weather.

We’ve been wondering about the low daily miles, and today we found the culprit: we have quite a farm of gooseneck barnacles on the hull. This means a bit longer passage time until we can clear the hull in Marquesas.

To take our mind off the grey weather, we decided on a movie night before dinner. Moana was good introduction to the southern Pacific.

• Distance today: 104NM
• Lunch: pea soup
• Engine hours: 0

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Pacific Ocean, 1709NM SW of Catalinia

In the light winds we decided to head a couple of degrees more south. So we trimmed the sails to a beam reach and glided along the swell silently. In the cloudless dark night sky you can see the Milky Way very clearly. Orion high in the sky and big dipper is hanging wrong way around pointing to a star not visible anymore.

We got to add ship #11 to the list of boats seen. Now we both are out of the guessing game. We have seen more boats than either of us anticipated. Progress is slow and the only fresh stuff we have left is onions, garlic and a few limes. And the kitchen garden. Fresh herbs in the middle of an ocean is such a luxury.

• Distance today: 80NM
• Lunch: spinach-mushroom quiche
• Engine hours: 0

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Pacific Ocean, 1629NM SW of Catalinia

The night passed comfortably with easy conditions and some shooting stars. The last thin sliver of moon rose only an hour before sunrise.

In the morning we were surprised by a clear sky squall, wind shooting from 12kn to 25kn in seconds. We put in a reef, and half an hour later wind had dropped again.

The light conditions mean somewhat slow progress, but at least to the right direction and without undue stress.

• Distance today: 99NM
• Lunch: lentil coconut curry
• Engine hours: 0

Monday, March 16, 2026

Pacific Ocean, 1530NM SW of Catalinia

In the darkness a larger cloud started to cover a quarter of the stars, so a reef was put in to the main and genoa was rolled in a bit. Nothing came out of the cloud, so at the dawn watch change, the solar panel in the bow was cleaned and the reef was shaken. By midmorning, we had a slight wind shift and went from wing on wing to port tack.

Life in the trades has found its groove. The days are blending into each other. Life happens in 6 hour bursts and we socialize with each other and the world at dinner time. At this point messages from friends on land or at sea are very important to feel connected. It makes our ‘Little Island’ feel still part of the world and we as a part of the life of our friends.

• Distance today: 101NM
• Lunch: spagetti aglio e olio
• Engine hours: 0

Sunday, March 15, 2026

Pacific Ocean, 1429NM SW of Catalinia

Winds have been remarkably consistent, and so the boat has been mostly left to its own devices, sailing us towards Polynesia. The slight downward trend in wind speeds means that we’re now flying full sail.

As right now we rely 100% on solar for our power, the constant battle is keeping the panels clear. Our nightly visitors have a tendency to leave gifts.

• Distance today: 116NM
• Lunch: tofu curry
• Engine hours: 0

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Pacific Ocean, 1312NM SW of Catalinia

Life in the trade winds is different. We are not so frantically looking at the weather anymore, a single checkup a day seems to provide all the information we need. The boat moves more as the waves come taller and closer together. Moving inside has become a task of planning 3 points of contact at all times, which is easy enough in a small boat. Cooking and doing the dishes has become task requiring skills in acrobatics too. Sleeping is an action of wedging yourself tightly in with pillows, so you don’t roll around but get a good night sleep.  Skills we haven’t needed in a while. The boat sails itself beautifully, the humans inside need to adjust a bit more. Now, at least, we have time to do that!

• Distance today: 128NM
• Lunch: navy bean soup
• Engine hours: 0

Friday, March 13, 2026

Pacific Ocean, 1184NM SW of Catalinia

Overnight the winds kept picking up, and by morning we finally found the trade winds around 5°S. At 5°30 we caught a favourable current, and turned our bow towards Marquesas. Now it theoretically should be sailing in a straight line for the remaining 2900NM.

With new moon approaching, the nights are starting to be quite dark. But at least this affords us a nice view of the Milky Way.

• Distance today: 120NM
• Lunch: spaghetti bolognese
• Engine hours: 0

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Pacific Ocean, 1064NM SW of Catalinia

The wind has kept constant for the past 24 hours. Only small puffly clouds spot the sky, so the batteries are full at 2pm. We run the watermaker every day and we keep the tank full. Excess water is then used for fresh water showers or like today, for laundry. We aim to be somewhat civilized so that other boats first see us, not smell us.

As the calms are now hopefully behind us, the birds have stopped visiting. They still try to land on the aft panel, but at this speed, the runway is too short and the landings are unsuccesful. At night the swallow tailed gulls hunt around the boat making their gurgling sounds and the white fluttering shapes keep disappearing and reappering from the darkness.

• Distance today: 82NM
• Lunch: pea soup
• Engine hours: 0

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Pacific Ocean, 982NM SW of Catalinia

What a difference a day makes! Around 8pm we caught an easterly breeze and could stop motoring, and around midnight the wind was strong enough for the windvane to steer.

Night was cloudless, and the only challenge was a trawler that crossed our bow, the long trawl lit like a string of Christmas lights.

The lovely conditions continued throughout the day, and we’ve been able to enjoy leisurely ocean sailing on a beam reach without having to touch a single line. These are not yet the trade winds, but it feels we’re on the trail to find them.

In the morning, Suski caught a tuna, providing us with some new variation in the menu.

• Distance today: 88NM
• Lunch: tuna ginger curry
• Engine hours: 1.6

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Pacific Ocean, 894NM SW of Catalinia

As the night fell, we motored on hoping for wind. In the early hours of morning it came, suddenly and fast. 20kn out of the darkness. So we rolled out a sliver of genoa and sailed! Since then the wind keeps disappearing and reappearing randomly. The sky is grey and the seas confused. So to keep up the morale, we motor the in betweens because drifting would be just too umcomfortable. Neither of us is sleeping well with the constant changes in conditions. At least we are making solid progress now.

Quite a huge difference with the forecast, where it was supposed to be sunny with light but consistent wind.

• Distance today: 105NM
• Lunch: Shakshuka
• Engine hours: 12.4