Journal Entry November 6, 2005 Another Sunday at Sea

Author: Pam

It’s funny how most days are indistinguishable from one another at sea, but somehow Sunday always seems to feel like a Sunday and this usually adds to up to being extra lazy. Maybe the observance of no work on Sunday in the South Pacific finally wore off on us after five months of South Seas Sundays. With that said there isn’t much to report. The wind did change direction around 0300 and we have been sailing directly at Whangarei all day, albeit slow at least it is the direction we want to go.

It was a sunny day and even warm enough to sit in the cockpit for breakfast. At least Scott braved the great outdoors to enjoy his tea and granola bar, it took the groundhog a little longer to muster up the courage. Around mid day we fell off the wind a bit to steady the boat and washed our hair in the galley sink. Though the sun was out there was too much of a nip in the air for a cockpit shower. We continue to work through our food on board, today we had soup for lunch and rice with curry from Trader Joes for dinner. The curry dishes are great passage food, they are packaged in a pouch and you throw them into boiling water (we use seawater) for five minutes. They are seasoned nicely and it couldn’t be easier. I am still continually amazed when the rice comes out ok when the pan looks like it is looking at the starboard side of the boat. Thank goodness for gimbaled stoves, even if they squeak as it is doing as I write this. I am creeping up from behind, Five Crowns stands at Scott 6, Pam 5. Tomorrow will be a big day.

A bit about New Zealand from “Landfalls of Paradise” by: Earl Hines. Two main islands comprise New Zealand – the North, 44,200 square miles and the South, 58, 200 square miles. Both islands are long and narrow, 1,100 miles separating the extremity of the South from the slim tip of the north. No point is farther than 68 miles from the sea. New Zealand lies at latitudes south of the equator similar to California’s position north of the equator and hence has a climate similar to that of California’s coastal region. I guess we will feel right at home in Whangarei which is located on the north island.