[p]beale12.4
[s]
pos: 18 13.5s 175 33.7w
Date: 20/06/2017 23:00 gmt+12:00
On the night watch, 94 miles out of Vava'u, heading for Fiji (Vanua Balavu in the Lau group)
Stars above, warm water washing my bare feet in the cockpit as we ride the big ocean waves. We're sailing straight downwind with a following swell, cruising gently through the night.
Joanne is below, dozing after her first night watch. I'm enjoying the ride and Otto (the auto-pilot) is doing all the work.
In stark contrast to our first crossing, this journey almost all the fleet left at about the same time. We are 15 hours into the journey, and there are still 13 boats within a circle of 6 miles radius. It looks like a travelling village out here with the boats lights appearing and disappearing as we go up and down the swells. It's very cool and makes you feelsaf and supported.
It's a lovely motion, if a little bit roly-poly.
Time for a midnight snack shortly. Food is a big topic on these longish crossings. Always thinking about the next snack or the next meal.
More soon...

[END]