Big excitement last night – we crossed the Equator for the seventh time. The high pressure systems now circulate clockwise and the lows counterclockwise. Toilets and sinks will be back to their normal spin within a few days as well.

It seems we always do this at night, and the public works department has yet to illuminate the yellow line which demarcates the northern and southern hemispheres.

Oh well, we still have the GPS to signify this momentous event.

Meanwhile, the weather continues to be contumacious – in our teeth, in other words. Our leisurely beam reach across the southeast trades is now in its fifth day of north-northeast to northeast wind. Breeze last night was in the low 20s for a while. Wind Horse is making good time through the water – just a hair under ten knots is fast enough to keep us comfortable. However, we have lost 30 miles to current in the past 24 hours. Very depressing.

Still, we should be at Fanning midmorning with plenty of time to have a good look at the pass. Ideally we would want to transit with the sun behind us, in the west, which means afternoon. However, this somewhat early arrival will allow plenty of time to eyeball the situation. Our visibility is so good from the flying bridge that we may be able to enter with less than optimal sun angle. Time will tell.

And speaking of the sun, another somewhat momentous event has transpired. Late yesterday we passed the sun (or it passed us). The sun is heading south, to bring spring and summer to those cold souls in New Zealand, Australia, Southern Africa, and South America.

Meanwhile life goes on aboard Wind Horse. We’ve now consumed 14 books between us since leaving Pago five days ago. Throw in another seven movies, and you can see we are not (yet) bored. And it is time for our morning cappuccinos.

Now, if we could just get our hands on the Sunday paper…