I stare through the forward window into the blackness of a very dark night. Slowly a pale silvery pool grows in the distance as the 1/2 moon breaks through the clouds. Suddenly a clear path shimmers before me on the churning water. Maybe, now, I am not so anxious for the way to be lit when I see how large the waves really are! Sitting in the Captain's Chair is the most stable place to be. I can imagine how well Glen is sleeping below, his body first pressing deep into the mattress then lightly floating above it as the motion of the boat rocks, not so gently, through the large swells before us. Not to mention the noise created when one of the waves "slaps" the hull, broad side. The moon light brightens a bit more and a flash of white catches my eye off to the side of the bow. An albatross teeters back and forth gamely trying to balance on the railing. Crazy bird! We knew to expect these conditions, but we always hope the weather guy is wrong. When he predicts smooth weather he is! Supposedly this "Junk" should only be a duration of 12 hours. Right now that seems like a week away. But I must quit complaining because it can certainly be a whole lot worse. We've had 36 hours of idyllic travel conditions prior to tonight. The moon slips back behind the dark veil of cloud cutting off my vision and I imagine that the motion is much smaller than it was moments before.
Our position is lat. 23.10.430 S and long. 160.24.097 E. We have 19 knots of wind and it is 20.8 degrees C. Our speed is 8.6 knots at 1346 RPM - we've been getting a great push from the current.
Here's to a smoother tomorrow!
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