Holy Smokes Only Two Days Away

We are all beginning to grieve the end of the passage. Today marks two weeks at sea, and it feels like less than a week. We have sailed about 1800, maybe 1900 miles and have 250 to go to bring the islands into sight. Dawn Friday should reveal the island's grey form with first light. At that point we will still be the better part of the day getting around to the south side of the island and into port. It'll be showers and dinner out in celebration of a safe journey.

For all of us, it is sort of bitter sweet. We are all looking forward to being Hawaii - the sights, the sounds, the beautiful people -- but we will all be sorry to be leaving this magic kingdom behind. We have had an easy time of it, spent hours enjoying the sail and the sea and one another's company, songs and tales - tall and otherwise.

But it has not been all easy. We had a tough night of it, night before last. Frequent squalls came upon us in the dark, surprising us with their rain and strong winds. "Blow, wind, crack thy cheeks" shouts Paul. And blow it did. We bent the living hell out of a couple of stanchions (up right posts that support the life lines around the perimeter of the deck) when we did an emergency douse of our head sail in a dark wind squall that pounced upon us. We caught a line around them. Otherwise, other than
getting wet, we are non-the-less worse for wear and we soon had the boat back under control and sailed onward, most of us returning happily to our snug berths below.

The last two days we have been running downwind in mostly eastern tradewinds, well established and running a steady 20 to 25 knots from behind us under the bright tropic sun. Over this time, the seas have grown steadily enough to impress even the admiral (my Dad) standing in the safety of the aft companionway looking aft and up, watching them tower as they approach to loom over the boat before the stern rises and the seas pass, hissing but harmless, beneath us. Its quite impressive I must say, but
their height is impossible to prove photographically. We will all remember their power and beauty none the less.

Today, I did my best to prove to the girls that the men onboard can cook too. With great aplomb, me and my mateys set about fixing a pot of what I can only describe as kraft dinner supreme - extra cheese, sausage, dried salami, wieners, etc. You know the drill. Personally, I think it was a master piece. Sambal was the secret ingredient. After much rolling of eyes, even our woman folk had to agree it wasn't bad, but still they wondered aloud "how could we?" after all the gourmet meals they have been
serving us. How could we men folk be so easily pleased? Ah yes, we are such simple creatures.

We are counting down the night watches. They are the hardest ones to get up and get dressed for, but when the stars come out, its all worthwhile.

Please, god, send us another fish and see us safely ashore Friday.

Cheers from the good ship Conversations II
Over and out!
Captain Cress

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