Latitude: 19 03.890 S
Longitude: 180 Crossing the dateline! 2132
Course Over Ground: 290 @ 5.5 knots
Wind Direction: 18 knots SE
Sea Swell: 10-12 feet ESE
Sky: 100% cloudy/squally
Barometric Pressure: 1013
Update: Crossing the 180 degree International Date Line!
We are just completing Day 3 of our passage from Tonga to Fiji and are between two islands Totoya four miles on our starboard and Matuku fourteen miles on our port. As the sky turned from dreary grey to black we had a visual on Totoya. We couldn't see Matuku, but know it's out there. It's been another grey and rolly day.
As I start this blog we are still in the Western Pacific. By the time I post this we will be in the Eastern Pacific on the other side of the International Date line, and all of our longitude will now be East instead of W.
Crossing the 180 degree line is another milestone, but somewhat anti-climactic because we actually changed our date upon arrival in Tonga the beginning of October. Because Tonga wanted to be the first instead of the last to bring in the millenium, the political dateline was moved to the east at Tonga.
The winds have been swirling today and the waves have not consistently been in one direction, but they have been big! Skylight about 6 miles ahead was spun 40 degrees off course by one wave causing an accidental jybe which ripped out their winch and broke a stay. Luckily neither Brian or Claudia were hurt just a bit shaken. After the initial alert and assessment, they were able to get things patched together enough to keep on moving forward. Worrall Wind, being the last boat in our fleet and the one behind Skylight was the logical rescue boat. Glad it didn't turn in to that. Before we even got them in our sight, they were back in running order.
I think all of us on this passage are glad it is the last big one of the season. The weather is changing and the water is heating up. According to the weather forcasters, La Nina is going to bring about an earlier summer wet season and the ingredients for tropical storms are in place. The forecast for the next two days looks like diminishing winds and seas and by then we will be in Fiji. Yeah!
All is well with the 2 Sail R's on Worrall Wind.
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