June 20, 2008
Motored out of Pago Pago harbor at 10:00 Samoan time. After delays due to stormy weather and rough seas and a bout of woe for one of our crew members, we are ready and anxious to depart. All are healthy. Encanto is fully loaded with fuel and food. Spirits are high and we are ready for the long passage.
June 23, 2008
It's the start of day 3, well almost; our day starts at 10:00 am Pago time, when we departed. All is well aboard; we are all getting along really good. A great crew.
We motored for the first 18 hours to get away from Tutuila, light winds and from the NE. No biggie. Gene had the most difficult watch the first night; we were going through a trough, so there were a lot of squalls. By my 4am watch, we were through the worst, the winds calmed and we sailed until early afternoon at 2-4kts. The wind then rose, and since we have been romping along at 4-8kts with relatively flat water. There is a NE swell of about 3-5' and small wind waves, but not bad at all. You would have loved last night, stars from horizon to horizon. Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and the Southern Cross were all out with the sky cleaved by the Milky Way. Beautiful. Today looks like it's going to be a good day as well. 210 miles closer!