07-Apr-2006 Position

10'39.4N/114'13.8W
07-Apr-2006 Noon

• 119nm made good last 24 hours
• 975 Miles from Z-town
• 2210 Miles to Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands!!!

We lost our best friend today. The SIRIUS radio has finally quit. And I think the last thing I heard was "Fair & Balanced". We used this every day and it really made the night watch great. So now its to the iPod for the rest of the trip. Rock On!

Our new best friend, the Sayes Rig windvane, has been on the job 24/7 and is really steering nicely. Its even earned its new name: "Napoleon".

We had a great 24 hours of sailing and I believe that we are 100% in the trade winds as we have had 25 knots of wind all day and it is right off the starboard quarter. We had some stronger gusts, so we are sailing with a double reefed main, just have the stay sail up forward, and we are still getting over 5 knots.

I am going to make this one short as we are really rolling around. I will type more when the swells lay down.

Tom and Amy

Translations from Ron:

• 25 knots = 28.8 mph
• starboard quarter = When facing forward, the right rear side fo the boat (or 4 o'clock).
• double reefed main = Reef means to reduce the sail's area. Double reef is to reduce it even more. A double reef normally reduces the sail area by at least 50%. Reefing is done when the wind is too strong for comfort, safety, or speed. Reefing a sail is quicker and easier than replacing a sail with a smaller one.
  
• staysail = A triangle sail forward of the main mast attached to a stay between the masthead and the bow.