We are into the rhythm now, the quiet pace that can make long passages so appealing.

The sky, the sea, the soft motion of Cochise, the sweet purr of her two small, barely audible engines, and no outside distractions. No news, no traffic, no TV, just the three of us enjoying the quiet, the beauty with which we are surrounded, the peace and solitude.

We are standing three hour watches, six hours off, mainly at night. The comfort aboard is exceptional, and we pay very little for this wonderful passage. Weather has been good–ok it’s on the nose, but we knew that when we decided to go this way. When there are crossing swells the motion can be abrupt, but mainly it is just smooth. We are running at 1500 to 1550 RPM, right now doing just 9.5 knots speed over ground, losing between .5 and 1.25 knots to the adverse current.

There is a lot of reading being done, now on Kindles, reading and writing emails (the Iridium Go is wonderful), taking and  processing photos, checking Cochise of course, and working on projects.

We are definitely not losing weight. The wahoo caught while leaving Fatu Hiva has been offered up as poisson cru and fish stew, with lots more to come. The onboard bakery has produced chocolate chip cookies (with walnuts) and a beer bread that is scrumptious. Fridge and freezer are working well and there is food easily sufficient to get us all the way to Florida.

The Steves have been working together on the Marerton N2K system and its data presentation. There is so much information available that you have to be careful not to lose sight of the more important factors of safety when on watch. We have been working to rationalize the feature sets, to reduce mid clutter.

We’ve got just 3160 NM to go, two weeks or a touch less. There are 3468 gallons of diesel in the tanks, which provides a comfortable margin over required fuel, and the forecast of a backing wind offering a bit of surfing for the last 1000 miles holds promise.

From 7 degrees 50 minutes South, 128 degrees 27 minutes West we bid you good day.