At sea, it’s traditional to measure a day from noon to noon. The reason for this tradition is simple – before the time of accurate clocks on board, much less having atomic time broadcast from a satellite directly to your boat, the only reliable tool for measuring time that didn’t require intricate tables and calculations was the sun. When it’s at its highest point in the sky each day, it is noon.
Noon today was our 13th of the trip, and it found us about 260 miles ENE of Hilo. The trade winds blew consistently all night, and the result is our speed rarely dipped below 7 knots. The winds also generated sizable waves, and the larger ones would regularly pick up Madrone and send her surfing down the wave face at 8 or 9 knots.
Given the forecast and distance remaining, it looks like we’re likely to arrive at Hilo very late Sunday night or early Monday morning. Depending on the conditions, we may slow the boat down in order to arrive during daylight hours.
All is well aboard Madrone – the crew enjoyed a breakfast of homemade chilaquiles and have been deeply engaged in the top three onboard activities – napping, reading, and staring at the waves pondering the ocean.
Day Thirteen: 171nm
Position: 20 59’N 150 30’W
