Hawaii to Sitka, Days 18-23: No News is Good News

It is our twenty-third day at sea. Tomorrow, Day 24, will mark the longest passage (time-wise) that we've ever made. Earlier in this trip, it seemed like this passage was going to be significantly longer than all our other passages; but now, it seems it will only exceed them by a day or two. Two of our three longest passages lasted 23 days, but their mileage varied widely: Mexico-Galapagos (1907 NM sailed) and Galapagos-Marquesas (2895 NM sailed). Our third longest passage, New Zealand to Rarotonga (2035 NM sailed) lasted 20.5 days. Our Hawaii to Sitka passage sits somewhere in the middle of these at 2435 NM (estimated mileage). 

Patrick repairs a loose connection in the instrument panel underway

Our passage has continued to be pretty uneventful. We lost the Laysan albatross a few days ago, and haven't seen anything but storm petrels since. We still haven't caught any fish, not even when we sailed through an area full of seamounts. In fact, the fisherwoman has been on strike for the past two days. I'm tired of setting and retrieving lines in cold, foul, nasty weather and not catching anything. I'll fish again tomorrow, as the water changed color today and is starting to shallow up. Maybe my luck will be better closer to shore.

I had a birthday at sea yesterday. In the three years we've been voyaging, I've spent two birthdays at sea and one on land, in New Zealand. Since Patrick's birthday falls during the South Pacific cyclone season, he's spent one birthday underway (in Mexico) and two on land. 

Selfie underway

As I write this, we are 210 NM out of Sitka. We could be in as early as June 8, but more likely, it will be the morning of June 9. The southerlies have been good to us. A comparison of the mileage during the middle of this passage to the mileage during the last nine days tells it all.

Noon-to-Noon Mileage in Nautical Miles:

First three days: 102, 129, 141
Next ten days: 91, 68, 79, 71, 96, 70, 75, 85, 84, 94
Last nine days: 111, 137, 107, 82, 124, 130, 148, 112, 126

Today is still in progress, so there is no entry for the twenty-third day.

That's all the news from Silhouette. As the saying goes, "No news is good news!"
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Posted from sea via Ham Radio. Edited for accuracy and photos added after arrival in port.