Position: 07 degrees, 22 minutes North; 121 degrees, 30 minutes South

Wing and wing with the storm trysail. We're still doing 6-8 knots with this rig!

Charisma’s having a lot of fun here in the trade winds, but we’re suffering a bit (we’re hearing the same from others in the fleet on the radio too). It’s gusting into the mid-twenties, whitecaps -actually the tops of most of the waves blown off-are as far as you can see across the very blue sea. I spoke with one boat named Aka who was going wing and wing and broached, completely turned around and was going backward with the main on the preventer and jib on the pole. His boat is an older IOR boat, but he’s cruised extensively and said he’d never seen it happen before, and didn’t want to ever do it again! Wave heights are averaging around six feet, with the occasional ten footer towering above, to get our attention. While Charisma is kicking up her heels and dancing down waves at 8 knots and more, we’re getting slammed around the boat (more than usual). I’ve been trying to slow her down a bit, but we’re down to the double reefed main and the jib is furled about as far as it will go. She’s completely under control; just a wild ride. Wilson is doing an admirable job of keeping dead downwind in the large waves and ample wind. The next step if needed will be to take the main down and hoist the storm trysail. It’s already hanked on the mast on its own dedicated track and in a bag, so all I have to do is hoist it (after wrestling the main down).

Booby Project Discontinued

We want to thank those of you who contributed so thoughtfully to the Booby Guano Aphrodisiac project, but sadly it is being discontinued. Turns out that Booby Guano once harvested and destined for the mass market needs to be refrigerated. Field testing suggests applying cold booby guano has the opposite of the desired stimulating effect. Also, we’ve run out of boobies. We’re well beyond their range now. So, again thanks for you entries and we’ll note that Jerry is definitely the winner with his name;” Booby Blossoms”. Jerry, we’ll save you some of the test product as a prize.

On a more happy subject, we do think we have another idea for a product to keep us funded in our cruising. Flying Fish Mobiles. There’s tons of ’em on the deck every morning. We just dry them and mount them. We’re working on the smell thing…. They will be great entertainment for your cat!

Last night So, it’s dark, around 0100. The moon’s not up yet. The waves are so big, I can hear the bigger ones coming up behind us even though I can’t see them. Then suddenly, in the blackness, the top of the wave explodes just behind us in a phosphorescent, eerie, white glow, breaking to either side of us with an almost deafening roar; white water boiling off the top of the wave, expending itself trying to get into the cockpit where I sit just watching and waiting for the one that might make it aboard.

Around all this, 360 degrees of crystal clear starlight, many old friends from previous passages winking at me, welcoming. But on the far horizon, to the South where we’re headed across the equator, distant lightning flickers in the night sky. Neptune is whispering off in the distance; “Prepare yourselves Pollywogs, it won’t be easy”.

We’re at 07 degrees 32 minutes right now as I write this. According to weather reports the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) begins from anywhere around 4 to 5 degrees. This is where the powerful tradewinds from the Northern hemisphere meet the trades from the Southern hemisphere. Unpredictable weather awaits often including squalls and lightning. Since we’re not going due South, but approaching the equator from an angle (course of 220 magnetic), we actually have about 360 miles or two to three days before we get there.