Pacific Crossed.

We’re here. On the other side of the Pacific. We made it! We made landfall on Friday, April 25. Mark called out “Land Ho!” on his morning watch and Justin and Kris clamored up the companionway steps to get our first glimpse at the little speck of land on the horizon. A short while later we were greeted by a large full rainbow, arching over our destination. We dropped anchor at 18:10 GMT-6. We kept the same time zone from La Cruz, Mexico for the duration of the voyage – it doesn’t really matter what time zone you’re on when keeping watch in the middle of the ocean. Arriving about 4 hours before sunset made anchoring in this busy rolly bay pretty low stress. It’s amazing to be here, to be anywhere, and I think we’re all still slowly realizing that we did it. We have 2,885 nautical miles behind us and it took us 21 days and 7 hours to complete the crossing. We motored or motorsailed for 70.5 hours, using 40 gallons of diesel. The rest was all wind and a little current (sometimes helping, sometimes hindering). On our fastest day we covered 182 nautical miles, and our slowest day was 107 nautical miles. We saw 5 other vessels during the entire voyage. We caught 1 fish and lost 1 lure. We did not lose any crew. All three of us were initiated as Shellbacks, once we sailed across the equator. We went for one deep sea swim, being towed behind the boat in a knot of current. We completed 6 minor repairs while underway, and arrived with minimal wear and tear on the boat. Amazingly, we had seabirds as company for the entire voyage, even when we were 1,000 miles away from anywhere. Along the way, Kris kept a daily journal, and the crew wrote remarks during each watch in the log book. Below are some excerpts to give you an idea of how it went.

Day 1: And we’re off! We wrapped up boat prep yesterday evening and received our beautiful new interior cushions! This morning everything went smoothly at the dock and check out in Nuevo Vallarta was quick and easy. We’ve been sailing upwind ever since as we make our way out of Bahia de Banderas. The sea state is pretty calm which is quite nice.

Day 2: The boys are both still a bit sea sick. I have a head cold. Off to a great start, ha! But all of this will pass. The sailing is going great. Upwind all the way so far, 141 nautical miles in the first 24 hours, no motoring. Feels good.

Day 3: Tanker passed behind us. Shook reefs. Easy peasy. Shifty winds but saw a fireball of a shooting star.

Day 4: We are in a perpetual washing machine. The swell and confused seas south of Socorro Island are really giving us a ride. We’ll pass 500 miles late today. It’s pretty amazing being out here. What greater adventure is there than to set the sails and cross an ocean?

Day 5: It helps to write a little each day, otherwise I would have no idea what day it is, or how many days we’ve been at sea.

Day 6: Moonset 5:30, first light 6:30. Beautiful winds. Seas easy. Sun shining. All crew showered! Jibed and put the pole out for the first time. Wing on wing. Epic sunset. Consistent wind, unorganized swell.

Day 7: DOLPHIN PARTY!!! Sailing along. No change to sails or course.

Day 8: I went to bed in the dark for the first time on this voyage. It’s so much easier to fall asleep when its dark and wake when it’s light. I feel much more rested. We rotated watch schedules yesterday, so instead of 3-7, I’m now on 8-12. We also shifted based on sunrise and set times. As a result, we’ve shifted who makes each meal. I’m on lunches now.

Day 9: Winds dropped and are shifty. Unfurl? Light winds. Sails slamming. Slow sailing, some slamming. Birds passed by. Jibed, caught a fish! Kris cleaned our fish. We ate cookies. Full moon. Clouds at sunset now dissipated.

Day 10: The ocean never ceases to surprise. We hit our first squall a few hours before sunrise today. I was attempting to sleep in the v-berth and Mark was on watch. I heard the headsail flapping and the slow cranking of the winch. I popped up to see if Mark needed help, and he did. The pole was still out from the past 2 or 3 days’ sail configuration. I managed lines in the cockpit and Mark clipped in and went forward to drop the pole. All went well, especially considering it was dark, raining, and the seas had picked up considerably.

Day 11: Another day another watch. It’s not exactly monotonous. The sea changes, sky and wind change, every watch is a little different. However the only things that make me feel like we’re making progress are our instruments. It could be day 4, or 24. Apparently it’s day 11.

Day 12: Rolly short period swell. Light winds, broad reach, seas calmed a bit. Passing US fishing vessel! Radio contact. Fishing vessel was very close to us. Rolly, winds stable. Dolphin pod in distance. Making water.

Day 13: Squall. 30 knot gusts, then no wind. Calming down seas, nice sunny morning. Great pizza din!!

Day 14: I’m waking up, just starting my watch, to a beautiful sunrise and the warm smell of cinnamon rolls emanating from the galley on our first morning in the doldrums. We started motoring about 3 hours ago. Motorsailing to be exact. The ITCZ looks pretty good for us actually. Wind will fill in, on and off, over the next few days as we cross the equator, which means we’ll be able to sail at times instead of motoring the whole distance. I’m so glad the winds were in our favor for the first two weeks. We only motored 13 hours, which means we’re coming in to the doldrums with nearly full tanks.

Day 15: Small swell, water glassy. Motoring, very calm. Squalls to east and west. Calm here and ahead. Went swimming!!! Incredible sunset. Motor off at 10:10pm. Wind is back! Sailing real nice! Equator here we come!

Day 16: We made it to the southern hemisphere! We came screaming across the equator at 12:16am going about 8 knots with gusts up to 28 knots! We completed our ceremony with a demonstration of strength (hopping on one foot in the cockpit), a gift for Neptune and Amphitrite (rum), temporary tatoos, libations for us (Espuma de Mar bubbly), and certificates. And Marisa sent along these awesome Shellback patches with Justin for all of us! It was a wild ride, and it feels amazing to have crossed this milestone. Less than 1000 miles to go! It feels good to be a Shellback!

Day 17: Dodging squalls, slow sailing. Swell multiplied. Found missing screw location – baton car connection. Replaced with machine screw and nylock nut. Mainsail clew soft shackle snapped, replaced with U-shackle. Rough confused seas. Crew is tired. Huge squall behind us. Flock of birds fishing. Squalls abound!

Day 18: We’ve been out here a long time. It’s crazy to think about. Over two weeks without seeing land. We just keep going – south and west. We’re in the South Pacific Ocean, looking for land. We’re about 5 or 6 days from landfall, or roughly 500 nautical miles. It’s incomprehensible to believe this journey will end. It feels like we’ve been doing this forever, and will continue forever. Though I don’t mean that in a bad way. I simply feel adjusted to life on the high seas.

Day 19: Fair winds and following seas! Lightening in distance. Many shooting starts. No changes, yay! Birds hunting fish.

Day 20: We’re almost there. It’s hard to comprehend that in approximately 2 days, I’ll see land again, and we’ll drop the hook. We have over 2,500 nautical miles behind us, and a little over 300 to go. The stars are enchanting this evening (or morning?). Thousands of them are twinkling above us as we slip past underneath. The trades winds are constant, though a bit light, providing us with a smooth ride. The seas are calm and following. I keep thinking back to how lucky I am to be here. I’m in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, on my boat. The challenges and rewards are like nothing else.

Day 21: Variable winds. Shooting stars. Boobie finally gone. Still fishing. No fish. Clouded sunset.

Day 22: 70 nm to go! Milky way was huge. Winds consistent. No land at first light. LAND HO! 10 am (GMT-6). Hiva Oa! Dead downwind sailing along southern Hiva Oa. Jibed. Sailing with main only towards Tahauku Bay. ANCHORED. WE MADE IT!!!

Since making landfall in Hiva Oa, we have checked into the country, explored the town of Atuona by foot, made a few provisioning trips, eaten ice cream bars for breakfast (twice), relaxed at a nearby resort with a pool and brunch for a half a day (sailors package), cleaned our laundry, cleaned the boat, and refueled (3 dinghy trips to shore to walk to the gas station with jerry cans). We also bid farewell to Justin, our friend, crew, and trusty Shellback. He was a fantastic help to the voyage, bringing his sailing experience and fun attitude along for the ride. Crossing with three people instead of two made it much more manageable and less exhausting, not to mention that it was a lot of fun. Fair winds Justin, and thank you!

Next Stops: Exploring the rest of the Marquesas Islands, starting with Tahuata which lies just south of Hiva Oa.