Passage to the Galapagos, Days 1 and 2<\/p>\n
Yesterday morning (Friday, March 16) we completed
\npreparations for our passage to the Galapagos, including a
\nlengthy visit to the fuel dock to fill a 100 gallon fuel bladder
\nstrapped to the aft deck. At 11:20 we left Balboa and headed
\nout the channel into the Pacific. The forecast was for light
\nwinds and that is just what we have found. We motored until
\nabout 5:30 pm and then found enough wind to sail at a reasonable
\npace with the genoa set out on a pole to windward. By 9:30 pm,
\nwe were back to motoring and have only been under sail for 2 1\/2
\nhours today (Saturday). Having that extra 100 gallons of diesel
\nin the bladder tank is reassuring, as is the 40 gallons in jerry
\ncans. We have enough fuel to motor all the rest of the way to
\nthe Galapagos if we have to. We have benefited from a favorable
\ncurrent that added as much as 2 – 3 knots to our speed for most
\nof the day.<\/p>\n
There was quite a bit of large ship traffic coming to and
\nfrom the Canal until early this morning. Now we are south of
\nwhere the big ships go and have not seen another vessel for
\nhours. Seas are quite flat with only a gentle swell but it is
\nvery hot inside the boat and difficult to sleep except at night.
\n We have lots of fruit that is rapidly ripening in the heat and
\nwe need to get busy eating it. The boat is more laden with
\nprovisions, fuel, and water than ever before. Laura and I made
\na last trip to the supermarket (“Super 99”) in Balboa plus added
\na few cases of drinks at the Balboa Yacht Club. Much of these
\nprovisions have to last us all the way to French Polynesia,
\nalmost 4000 miles of sailing away.<\/p>\n
At 5:30pm EST (22:30 Z) we are at North 5 degrees 55.5
\nminutes, West 80 degrees 57.9 minuted, motoring at 7.9 knots and
\nheading 238 degrees magnetic.<\/p>\n
M.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Passage to the Galapagos, Days 1 and 2 Yesterday morning (Friday, March 16) we completed preparations for our passage to the Galapagos, including a lengthy visit to the fuel dock to fill a 100 gallon fuel bladder strapped to the aft deck. At 11:20 we left Balboa and headed out the channel into the Pacific. … <\/p>\n