I’ve completed my first day back in the Pacific, and is has been pacific indeed. Sunny and hot, with smooth seas and a long, low swell, and almost no wind. I received several fine welcomes throughout the day, from 2 schools of different types of dolphins, and a small pod of whales spouting nearby.
In the afternoon, I crossed paths with 3 of the Global Challenge racing yachts, who were motoring to the Panama Canal, having suspended racing at the bottom of Mexico due to no wind. These are the 72-foot aluminum sailboats that race around the world the wrong way, with amateur crew paying to participate. They had last departed San Francisco (Oakland actually), and were on their way to New York.
I was able to do some sailing when the wind got up to 5-10 knots, as it was on the beam, but I’ve also been motoring a bit, which is what I expected. In fact, it looks like I may have another 4 or 5 days of these conditions, which is what the earlier forecasts predicted as well. So that means for now, I am taking the coastal route. If conditions change, I may still head offshore, but I’ll make that decision when the time comes.
I finished going south yesterday, when I rounded Punta Mala at latitude 7, and am now heading slightly north of west. I should cross the border of Panama tonight, entering Costa Rican waters.
5/6 8am 7.12N 81.26W 5702nm gone, 4898nm to go