Kinetic Vic-Maui Report 07-07 (early morning)

July 7, 0230

Kinetic friends:

At 2:30 a.m., Kinetic is running South-South-West in 20 knots of wind, seas are rolling and lumpy, skies are overcast with an occasional fleeting glimpse of a patch of stars or the seemingly shy crescent moon. 

We sail in low cloud, sometimes with a fine mist.  It is less cold than when we started, but still cold enough at night to require thermal layers and foul weather gear.  Hawaiian weather it is not. 

The off watch sleeps, or at least rests fitfully, as the boat noisily rolls and heaves, slapping and being slapped by waves, with lines and sails straining and hardware groaning under ever-changing loads. 

By any reasonable test, it is too dark to steer!  Instruments and the navigation computer screen glow dimly, at their lowest settings to preserve our night vision.  Our nav lights are lit, so that other boats can see us, but we see and are seen by none in this small patch of the world's largest ocean.  We press along, rotating helmsmen frequently, each fighting fatigue and taking their turn.  Steering is by feel, heel and most of all by staring down at the red-lit compass card and trying to match the boat's rotation to the opposing rotation of the spinning card. After a while, the card and the senses blur, and it is time for the next helmsman to take over. 

We await the pre-dawn light with hope and anticipation.

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