Land Ho!

We are now in the Republic of Kiribati.  Anchored of the shipping dock at Kirimati under another starry sky. A dolphin is playing by the boat, stirring up bioluminescence

A New Bunk!

After 6 days of sleeping with a pea under my pipe berth & no fan, I switched bunks. While it's an interior lower bunk (=hot), it has a mattress & fan! Luxury!

News Flash: There is NO halfway Starbuck barge out here...

For those who wondered if we dropped anchor at night to sleep, the depth of the ocean right now is about 4,000 meters. So, no anchoring. We sail 24-7.

Numbers

HELMING: Helming is a numbers game. You have a desired heading to get to your destination (say 175 M). But then you have desired wind angle …based on sail trim and are trying to avoid a crash tack/gybe (bad wind angle). We have 7 digital instruments to watch. Then there are wave sets and wind gusts that push you around.

Smells

 11 days ago, the Sea Dragon smelled just like my old Clipper 68 (CV10). Not a bad smell but a specific smell. It brought back many good 09-10 memories. With 8 women (2 men) on board, the boat is considerably cleaner than my usuals passages with all men. However, after days of humidity, salt water, rain, & heat-- the smells are turning bad....

We found it - Where the Map Ends!

In case anyone is wondering, we found the sea beyond map's end. However, no Amelia Earhart, Arya Stark, or Kraken sightings. …

We sailed into this very large squall. The horizon became darker and darker and then we sailed into a cloud of mist then rain (warm rain). It came down in sheets. Sheet after sheet. A "portal" appeared showing blue skies ahead, but as the squall was moving to the west, the portal also moved away. More rain, sheets of it. And then, another portal. We emerged into blue skies.  I swear this is where the map ends!

Amazing skies

Wow. Another amazing night watch w/ a sky full of stars. Meteor showers as bright as Amy's smile! I made red curry for lunch & later, we will swim mid- Pacific

Out to sea again

A hui hou Palmyra! We are headed SSE to Kirimati (Christmas island). Currently motoring due to light winds. Already missing the wonders & people from the atoll. The scientists gave us a warm goodbye with a conch shell call.

Palmyra receives over 14 inches a month of rain!

Big squall came w/ a south wind. After it passed we saw a big rainbow & brilliant sunset wi/Mantas feeding by the boat

Beware of Eels!

Long hike around most of Cooper Island (part of Palmyra). Saw eels, 1000s of strawberry hermit crabs, small fish, a FAD (illegal Fish Attractant Device), and plastic bottles - way too much plastic.  Speaking of eels, did you know that they can come OUT of the water? Like snakes. It was not fun to discover this when the eels were attacking a crab right next to my foot. Yikes!

Island of Mystery

Curry dinner on board with educational talk @ the area & reefs by crew a /scientist Mary. And watched old FBI tv episode @ the 1970s murder on the atoll.  We have spent a good part of our trip discussing our theories about the murder of two cruisers and the two accused murderers. We even had both books (Bugliosi's and Buck's) on board!

When I worked at the AG's office, a coworker who liked to watch murder mysteries made me promise her that I would never sail to Palmyra. I never thought I would ever have the chance to sail here. Please, don't tell her I went!

Best.Snorkeling.EVER.

Magical snorkeling at one of the world's healthiest coral reefs. Moorish idols, black tip sharks, parrot fish, trumpet fish, and every shape and color of coral that you can imagine.