22-April-2006 Position

5'39.9S/133'52.6W,
22-Apr-2006 Noon

• 140nm made good last 24 hours
• 2726 Miles from Z-town
• 453 Miles to Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands
• SE 25-30 knots wind, no squalls 10ft swell
• making 6 knots, motor sailed from 11pm to 6am.

Ahoy,
Well I think we survived another night of living the "Perfect Storm". We had an overcast day all day yesterday, and another night of winds at 30 knots until 11pm when the wind just all the sudden stopped. We were rolling all over the place with the swells that were left. So another night of motor sailing from 11pm to 6am. A great day of sailing today with lots of sunshine.

I committed one of the greatest sins aboard last night. I left one of the portholes open over the starboard bunk, as it was so hot below. I was rewarded by witnessing blue ocean water pouring in on the bunk as we took a heavy roll. Amy was very pleased that we got to spend the evening pulling every pillow and sheet off the starboard bunk, hanging everything in the cockpit to dry, and leaving me a nice wet mattress to sleep on.

We spent another night watching movies below while Sandpiper drove us along at 6-7.5 knots, giving us our 2nd longest 24 hour run. I still find it weird to be below watching a movie thousands of miles offshore, then going out in the cockpit and looking around.

We also turned back our clocks one hour today because at 7pm, the sun is still high in the sky. This is our second time change since we have left. It should put us close to local time when we get to Hiva Oa.

We are getting closer and closer to Hiva Oa. We have been talking to the boats that have arrived. I think if we get lucky with the winds, we should be there in 4-5 days. We are pulling into Hiva Oa because this is a Port of Entry for French Polynesia. It is where we have to check in with customs and apply for our French visa, that will hopefully give us a 90 day stay.

We are able to chat with the boats behind, in front, and around us over the SSB/Ham radio at noon every day. Our friend Ken, on SV Panache, is single handing his boat. He left Z-town a week after we left. Every time he transmits, his radio makes his boat's autopilot turn his boat in a complete circle. So all we hear from him is "Sandpiper... this is Panache. Oh there is goes again!", as he runs to the cockpit to get his boat back on course. This is all we have heard from him during this trip on several different occasions.

Also... our friends Chris, Kelly, Claire, and a cat, on The Sensei, left a week behind us from Puerta Vallarta and not only being busy sailing and standing watches are home their daughter Claire.

There is another boat, The Maryad, that is about 60 miles from us. They are the parents of friends we met in Puerta Vallarta on SV 'New Dawn". New Dawn just arrived in Hiva Oa. They even have the exact same boat as their parents.

See you in 24,
Tom and Amy