Day 13 (I had miscounted until now) 27’26.500N / 147’23.436W

I don’t know how I got my days at sea messed up, but I did. Today is day 13 and I have 730 miles left to go…..and they couldn’t seem longer. I am still loving being at sea, but the desire for stable footing and the company of my loved ones is starting to creep up on me. The seas are very sloppy and unpredictable right now. I have to be very careful moving around the boat because periodically a huge swell from an unexpected direction will knock us on our ear. And when I say on our ear, I really mean it! The boat goes sideways and everything inside slams hard in its respective spot. Thankfully I have had no projectiles yet! My body is extremely sore and tired from balancing and hanging on, not to mention from sleeping on a less than desirable surface for all this time. My hands feel like sandpaper, and I have already mentioned the insane bruises that I am sporting. I think I am just arriving to the end of my rope with life in this bobbing capsule! Haunani is trucking along like a champion, but is showing her battle wounds too. This trip has taken its toll on us both.

As weary as I am from all of that, I never tire of the beauty out here. Every shift of light, color and texture inspires such awe! The nights are magical, especially now that the moon is waxing. I wish I could somehow capture the sublime beauty of a tropical night sky at sea, but it will just have to be a memory in my mind’s eye. The air is warmer now, and the sun hotter. The cold weather clothes are being exchanged for bikinis and shorts (and sometimes no clothes at all) as we draw nearer to Hanalei, and I can almost smell the tropical smells of my childhood home. OK, well maybe I am hallucinating (or whatever the smell version of that is), but it sure feels real! All I know is that I am dying for my 1st sight of land!

Meanwhile, in other news…..my close up vision has completely left the building, and I cannot do anything without readers now. I kept thinking I was there before, but now it is official. Good thing I bought about 6 new pairs before I left, as I have already lost one pair overboard. It has been interesting to experience that shift out here when I have to be constantly monitoring displays, logs, gauges etc. I suppose its all part of this vision quest (no pun intended) to accept and embrace the changes, and especially the growth that comes with my ripe old 48 years.