The errand flurry finished - after finally tracking down some spare hydraulic fluid, the two last things we did were return the rental car and send back our internet-connection USB stick - we motored out of the busy Santa Cruz harbor at just about noon on the 25th.
We've got a lovely northeast breeze, and have been sailing wing-on-wing downwind since the afternoon of the 25th, and we're making good time. The swells and breeze have built slowly and steadily overnight, and we've hit a max speed so far of 12.4 knots going down a wave.
Overnight our wake kicked up scattered bits of phosphorescence, tiny sparkles in the bow wave as we rolled along. Not a lot of other critters around, so far, anyway.
The crossing crew: (left to right) Heidi, Casey, Andy, Sean, Anne, Oisin (Sofia taking the picture)
Everyone's settling into the watch system (3 hours on, 6 off) and we're doing a clever half-watch turnover so everyone ends up with two watch partners rather than just one. And Sofia is whipping up yummy meals in spite of the swells (the rest of us have no idea how she does it.)
Sun, a fair breeze and a following sea - couldn't ask for more! This is really delightful crusing sailing.
26 Nov 2009 12:19 UTC 16 06.98 N 18 07.51 W
2503 nm to go!
-Anne, for WT
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