A quick hurried post- This will be my last post for as long as it takes to get to the Marquesas. I have heard 18 or 24 days thrown around, but it doesn’t really matter as once you are in open ocean, the days seem to melt into each other. We expect good trade winds so I might see some good sailing. Internet access in Hiva Oa or Nuku Hiva is not the greatest, but I will try to backfill the blog as soon as I can.
Yesterday we were all busy with different projects. I volunteered for beach cleaning for a couple hours, and then cleaned our boat hulls. Diving down and scrubbing was quite challenging as it was windy with rough surf and a strong drift. I swallowed more than my fair share of ocean and had to take several breaks, but got back to work quickly to avoid the wrath of the skipper. A quick shower (probably my last for awhile) and I was ready to go to the immigration office for our exit stamp. We were early and did not have to wait too long unlike the folks who came in later.
Today we had our exit boat inspection and pizza for lunch which Lara picked up after her morning run. Aahh-the lovely taste of pizza when you know you can’t have any for several weeks.
After the frantic pace of cleaning and preparation of the previous days, today started out slow. There was a sense of anticipation and purpose in the air and I could see other crew getting their boats ready with last minute adjustments and preparations for the long haul ahead. We were first off the starting line again, but were quickly overtaken by Nica (she is fast). We had good winds at the start but it died quickly. Joe pulled out the Spinnaker and its back to grinding and adjusting as the wind changes. The boats will soon spread out and lose sight of one another.
Adios for now as I see the cell signals slowly disappear.
Sailing Jajabor 