What a Difference...

April 28-Galapagos Passage, Day 20

What a difference....a little wind makes! Sometime around 2 p.m. yesterday, a bit of magic happened. Silhouette experienced a sea change. We left the tyranny of squalls behind and found the wind. For over twenty-four hours, we sailed on a reach in winds ranging from 9 to 15 knots, but mostly a steady 10-12 knots. Our boat speed was a fabulous four or five knots, even when we ran through the night with a reef in the main. Suddenly, we were winging our way to the Galapagos, under blue skies with only non-threatening puffy white clouds, and the miles were flying by! At noon today, we logged our first 100-mile day in a week, with 93 of those miles made good (on our course.)

Now, we are pounding to weather---but we're still sailing! Our speed is down to 3.5 knots because we are beating into the wind and seas, but we are no longer ghosting along at one or two knots or merely drifting. It sounds like Silhouette is hitting something every few minutes, but that is only the sound of the waves crashing against her hull. My heart is full of gratitude for this little boat with her big spirit, intrepid soul, and courageous heart, who labors on unceasingly through the night while Patrick and I take turns napping on the pilot berth.

We have less than 200 miles to go. We are at latitude 1 degree 39' N. Sometime tomorrow, we should cross the Equator; and if the wind holds, the day after that, we should arrive at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal, our port of arrival in the Galapagos Islands.