[password] rachel25
[position]37 33.400s 144 47.900w
[status] On passage to Valdivia, Chile from Auckland NZ.
We've worked our way north again to allow two successive fronts to pass to our south while we maintain not-too-strong westerly winds. So we skirt the highs and we skirt the lows, a bit like traversing an uneven landscape maintaining a steady altitude and avoiding the big valleys and the high peaks. The only difference is that, in our case, both we and the landscape are moving relative to each other. So we are glad to have Bruce,the weatherman sitting in Perth, surrounded by all his data, models, satellite images, plotting our position and suggesting the strategy for the next few days.
We have chosen to take this longer route just near the 40th parallel rather than following the shorter great circle route. By doing so we will sail an extra 1000 miles but there will be no threat of ice and we hope we will be able to remain in reasonable wind and sea conditions which do not threaten the boat or sap the strength of our small crew. We sail the boat very conservatively, always with less sail then she could carry. We are a tortoise rather than a rabbit, slow steady progression to the east and we'll arrive when we arrive.
THere were a couple of milestones today. 1. We shared the last tomato. It was sliced with fresh basil from Lucas' garden.
2. We managed to send and receive our sailmail e mails via the Chile sailmail station. So it looks as if we will maintain our e mail coverage all the way. I was dreading a black hole near the middle of the passage where we would get no coverage.

Ana and Lucas in good spirits. Today Ana made fresh bread and pizza. THere's nothing better than coming down into the cabin and being greeted by the smell of bread cooking. Lucas is practicing his guitar, learning astro navigation, and teaching us Spanish.

[speed] 6.5 kts
[heading] 070 true
[weather] Wind W 25 knots. 2.0m waves. Sky clear,
[END]