Pacific Odyssey - Leg 5

This passage will be remembered for its drastic change in temperature. Jose wore pants all day, a first in seven months. Although he was the only one, the rest of us wore long sleeved t-shirts or sweatshirts for part of the day and definitely warmer clothes for the night. Sarah b. is on watch from 2000-2400hrs and she is wearing her foul weather gear over her clothes and a hat. Below decks the cabins are still 31 degrees Celsius but they are definitely becoming more comfortable. For the first time in 3 months, I threw a thin sarong over myself for a portion of the night: the fan still goes all night. The temperature on deck at 1800hrs was a very cold 26 degrees Celsius . . . no wonder we were all shivering and talking of digging out our jeans. Zach, Sarah b., Sara r., and Drew took bucket showers today and said the water is getting cooler. We find the daytime weather quite perfect right now, about 35 degrees with a comfortable breeze. We are still motor sailing with the wind heading us. The motion has been somewhat rocky, forward and aft. Gillian and Katie are doing a remarkable job cooking in a space where everything moves and nothing stays in its place. ingredients are stowed under trainee bunks and one often sees the bottom half of either Katie or Gillian on a top bunk digging under a trainees personal gear, then the bedding, then the mattress, and finally the slats to get cans, sugar, flour, beans, chocolate chips, almonds etc. it´s a big job. Amanda scored the highest so far in one turn in the game of scrabble: 118 points for one word in the first round. she scored 50 for using all her letters, scored 2 double word scores, and added an s to ´weasel´ with the word ´convoys´ to receive points for both words. Greg and Jose have found a wrestling partner in each other and are at it intensely several times a day: great entertainment. Jose taught a senior chart work lesson on deck while Jordan and chase set up a taff rail log which will provide them with a dead reckoning position for their celestial navigation. Skipper and Jacob put a new skin on the Marquesian drum, thanks to Dave Eggert and the Farrens who bought and brought the skin to the ship in Guam: it will be good to use it again. This is it, until tomorrow, we are about halfway to Japan: we can see it on the chart. Good night, Bonice.