Live updates of our pacific crossing
We have begun our Pacific Ocean Crossing to French Polynesia.
This page will be used to show our progress and update anyone caring to be updated. I hope to provide quick daily (or every few days) updates in this post.
In the map to the right; The black line is our general path, broken into 1 week – or 700 mile – sections (estimated). The green line is the equator, where the winds for hundreds of miles tend to be very, very light. Total distance will be 2800-3000 nautical miles.
In the map below you can track where we actually are in real time, including the weather forecasts
Updates:
April 17 – We are officially checked out of Mexico and have left the safety of our final port. It took us 6+ hours of sailing over 26+ miles to get to our anchorage, just 13 miles from our starting point. Now we just wait for the proper winds to push us West-southwest. Hopefully the wind will fill in by the weekend
April 20 (Day 1) – We left the safety of our anchorage and started our crossing of the Pacific Ocean. We expect very light winds until the 24th, as we chose to leave with the better sea conditions before the upcoming wind will make it very, very ugly closer to land.
The end of our first day
April 21 (Day 2) – Only made 78 miles in our first 24 hours. Slow going, but it has been comfortable. Kerri not feeling 100% for the past few days so getting a lot of sleep. Light winds from behind in the morning, switched to moderate winds closer to our nose by late afternoon. Sunset visit by a pod of spinner dolphins. Water color has gone full ocean-blue on us.
April 22 (Day 3) – 105 miles sailed in the past 24 hours. Uneventful day. We are now >200 miles offshore and have entered a highway of sorts. An ocean current is giving us a boost of nearly 1 knot now, and will for a couple more days.
April 23 (Day 4) – We managed 109 miles in the last 24 hours. A Boobie (the bird type) stayed on our bow overnight. Cute, but shat all over. Today was a day of chores: made water, got our whisker pole setup, tidied up on deck for heavier weather that will come eventually, and so on. Had one thing on the boat break today, which we bandaged up over a couple hours and got back to the sail.
April 24 (Day 5) – 111 miles in the past 24 hours. We passed 400 miles offshore and are now in the steady winds promised after we got ourselves west of the 110 longitude. From here we will make more miles each day, but sacrifice some comfort as we start heading down wind towards the equator.
Sunrise of day 6
April 25 (Day 6) – The Starlink dish tried to abandon ship in the very early morning hours. It was noticed with just a single thread holding on the last of two bolts. Kerri had to be woken to assist, as hanging half my body over the railing to manipulate small tools and bolts was simply not safe. Her awake and watching would be the difference between life and death if I fell over. The problem was sorted, and the day mostly uneventful. Stronger winds are now at our rear as we continue to sail south and west allowing us to progress another 118 miles in the 24 previous hours… past the 500 mile checkpoint. Minutes before sunset Kerri had to wake me. The brand new furler line had just broken, meaning we could not retract our headsail. I spent the next hour reinstalling the same line after it was quickly repaired with a knot. Nothing we can’t handle, although I did almost lose my glasses overboard after I punched myself in the face as is customary when working with any tool.
April 26 & 27 (Days 7 & 8) – We continue to sail, making good time know in the more stable winds. 125 and 134 miles in each 24 hours period, respectively. 800 miles in to the passage as of this evening. We made our first serious heading change since we started, from SSW to South. 1000 miles to the equator. VHF radio on the fritz. We have our handhelds as well as our old one (recently replaced new one dead within a year, go figure) which I will install after the sea state calms down a bit. All else going well.
Safe travels!
Exciting! Be safe!