VIVACE HAWAII - SITREP 2024-06-30 - EVENING WATCH REPORTING

CREW HIGHLIGHTS: Hot Showers! With the engine running all day we had plenty of hot water. Food delicious as always, high cuisine courtesy of Kirill and Craig. Egg salad sandwich or granola and yoghurt for breakfast. Lunch was fresh spicy shrimp on a bed of arugula and grilled turkey/pepper panini with chips. Dinner we powered down to create favourable BBQ conditions - grilled salmon with a spicy senegalese salsa, spinach salad w/perfectly ripe avocado. Everyone napping well and comfortable in the gentle conditions, although the vee-berth is a bit active in the swell, and could have been more exciting if Kirill hadn't discovered that the lift-up berth hadn't been fully latched down. Recently improvised lee cloths doing their job.

CONDITIONS: Winds continue to be unusually calm for these waters at this time of year. Finding mostly F2/F3, velocity mostly less than 7 kts. Unfortunately not enough to make our minimum desired boat speed of (6 kts). On track for 175nm day.

GOINGS ON: Tested the desalinating water-maker to top off the freshwater tank. Careful observation revealed a loose fitting on the saltwater side that threatened to drip water directly onto the control electronics. Judiciously tightened and passed testing with flying colours, water tank was successfully filled.

HOPES AND DREAMS: Wind models predict an increase to 15 kts overnight with an approaching high-pressure system. We are angling to ride down a sweet spot off a high-pressure ridge as it pushes up against the west coast of North America. The trick is to stick to the right isobars between the light conditions at the centre of the system and the heavy stuff closer to shore. And then of course to actually make a good course towards our direction on a point of sail that works for the vessel and crew. All a question of how to be at the right place at the right time. Too soon or too late and that becomes the wrong place.

Iain (Sparky) McBride