Day 10: A Report from Dave

August 20, 2010
15:42 HSST (01:42 UTC August 21)
Lat: 41 16.4 North

Lon: 143 16.9 West
Distance to go: 951 nautical miles (under 1000!)

As I'm sure you are all growing bored with my perspective on this trip, so I thought it would be nice to have blog entries from other on the crew. The first to step up to the plate is Dave. Here is his report:

An update of life on the high seas with your hardy, intrepid travelers. The bouncy, head-on seas of last night have been replaced by easy, rolling swell from the NNW, quartering in on Capaz's port bow. Easy sailing today, with sunshine all day up until about 20 minutes ago. Sunbathing, reading and fishing from the Lido Deck have been the highlight of the day. Everyone is hoping for an albacore strike after too much success with mahi-mahi. (Yes, there is such a thing as too much luck fishing: "Fish AGAIN?" But that's how it goes when you roll with Captain Brad "Fish Killer" Baker.) The race is about neck and neck and neck and neck for the lead in our summer reading derby, as books get devoured and passed around and devoured. Every once in a while the reading is interrupted for a little sail trimming or repair work. We nightly watch an episode or two of The Big Bang Theory (sitcom), and wish that Penny would just fall for Sheldon already. Following dinner is usually a movie. Yes, for these hard men of Capaz, who fear no fish (until the 4th night in a row) nor stormy sea, homesickness is the only true hardship, as we miss our loved ones at home. Your correspondent speaks at least for himself that it won't be a moment to soon to reacquaint with his wife, Meline, and 5 month old boy, Reef, when at last we find port, in approximately one week's time. The water and air temperatures continue their decline, making showering on the swim step a somewhat chilly affair, and chasing the fleece layers from the depths of stowage. Brad insists that turning around and going back to Hawai'i is, in fact, not an option. Randy, who will be starring this fall in the reality series, "Boat Chef on Stormy Seas" just re-entered the galley for his nightly role as Director of Cruise Cuisine. He volunteered early for this role, likely after sizing up the competition, and figuring out that he would rather cook dinner for four every night of the trip than eat anything that I might decide to "create" for a meal. So he is a smart man, as well as a good and diligent chef. To his credit, Brad has stepped in on several occasions and Harold and I are nothing if not mighty in the meal cleanup arena. While my thoughts certainly turn to home, this is a great journey and an amazing opportunity to cross this vast ocean that I have previously only flown over. It could hardly be more different than life at home, and only confirms and inspires my desire to undertake similar journeys on my own boat in the future.

Aloha, Third Mate Dave