Pacific Odyssey - Leg 5

We are now at the latitude of hilo on the big island of hawaii: the air is remarkably cooler at night and watch officers are wearing pants and jackets at night to keep warm. during the day the sun is still hot, but the air feels cooler. we caught 2 skipjack tuna simultaneously but let them go: they´re not our favorite fish for eating. we´ve been sailing steadily with slight sail changes. the wind has switched and is now heading us: we are lowering the double-reefed main to raise the trysail. we will sheet the sails tight and turn on the engine and head into it for awhile. the decks are still quite wet from spray and so we continue to huddle in the stern with our books and ipods. starboard watch spent a few hours making baggywrinkle. baggywrinkle is made by tying hundreds of 15cm strands of hemp around a 60ft double line of marlin. the strands of knotted rope get pushed tight
together to form a long section of bristly rope. this gets hauled up the shrouds and wrapped around the cables to prevent the sail from chafing when it lies against these cables. it´s therapeutic work: one just stands in a line, tying knots and chatting, i don´t mind it. jose, elske and antony are being interrogated in their watches today. we´ve spent 4 weeks together and have grown very comfortable with each other: trainees are no longer afraid to ask personal and hilarious questions of each other. they keep reminding each other, ´you´re only loved as well as you´re known,´ a quote they picked up during one of our sunday services. trainees worked together well this evening lowering the mainsail and raising the trysail: it was very windy and there was a lot of motion, they seem eager to learn. the crew would like to wish zachary eggert an amazing 7th birthday january 25th. happy birthday zach, from all of the crew.  also, rachael would like to wish her sister veronica a wonderful 19th birthday for today, january 25th. happy birthday veronica. until tomorrow, good night, bonice.