Pacific Odyssey - Leg 3

We are under sail making good speed.  We raised the two courses and the trysail at 0800hrs, and have been making between 6-8.5 knots for most of the day.  The engine has been off all day, very nice.  Tonight we expect to enter the area where the easternmost islands begin.  We will adjust our course to sail amongst and between them.  We lowered courses and raised the jumbo and foresail in preparation for the course change.  The wind has blown onto our port beam for most of the day.  Last night was a cold night; watch officers Jose, Karen and Antony wore their foul weather gear to keep warm as well as to keep dry.  Today as well, has been cold and sweaters, fleece, jeans, windbreaks etc. are the norm.  Last night nobody slept.  We may have experienced some of the rolliest motion of the voyage so far. Many of the girls in the foc´sle gave up trying to keep their things on the ledges (the shelf clamps) above their bunks and just kept them on the bunks once they were rolled out of their place.  Antony had trouble with his lee cloth and just caught himself on a beam as he was flung out of his bunk on a starboard roll. The hold had too many misplaced water bottles wandering back and forth along the sole. We generally spent the night trying to wedge ourselves in sufficiently to minimize rolling in our bunks.  The motion has somewhat subsided but there is still the regular rolling side-to-side and the occasional deep dip, which scoops water, sometimes frothing knee height on the deck.  The water washes over most of the deck, and swashes port to starboard amidships. It´s been a good day, everyone seems quite happy to be at sea again.  Crew and trainees found time to catch up on sleep, read their books, and chat in the stern.  We caught fish today; at lunch Noah and Chase brought in a large 25-30lb dorado, and later in the afternoon, there were 2 wahoo on the lines.  We kept the larger one.
Chase taught Noah how to fillet the Dorado.  Chase and Scott also baked the wahoo and made the famous and much-loved fish nuggets out of the Dorado, all for an afternoon snack.  They were delicious; there were many of us who were longing for the taste of fish again.  It´s always exciting to catch fish; when the little bell goes or we hear the gears of the reel clicking on Chase´s rod, we all run to the stern, expectantly.  Jacob was able to try out the new gaff him and Tavish made a few weeks ago.  Tavish has been carving a new lure head out of wood and a few more trainees have been learning how to make
Turk´s Heads.  We are now tying up in the town of Lautoka, north of Nadi, the airport.  Because of the political situation in Suva, this is safer, as well as more convenient for trainees leaving and coming.  Our shipping agent in Suva will still be the same and will be helping us with whatever we need, bringing mail, etc.  Karen has been busy with several ´patients, mostly small cuts and mosquito bites on the feet, that have become infected.  In the tropics, with the heat and the humidity, the coral and so much walking on bare feet, small injuries, which we would ignore at home, can easily become a bigger issue. It has kept Karen busy as she checks and cleans, and administers what´s needed, at least 2 to 3 times a day on each of the 4 fellows.  I think things are looking better now, and the sores are beginning to dry out and scab nicely. The time is going quickly, we are surprised our 57 days together are almost over.  We still have lots of good plans though for the next 9 days and intend to make the best of them.  The sailing is beautiful right now, there is no moon or stars, because of the clouds, but you can hear and feel the boat soaring with the waves.  We saw flying fish again today as well as several seabirds.
This is it, until tomorrow, good night, Bonice.