We left Hiva Oa about 36 hours ago (it’s now after 11pm June 1) and have had GREAT downwind sailing conditions. The first afternoon the wind was 14 to 20 knots, coming over our port quarter. During the evening and night it decreased a bit but was still in the mid to lower teens. We did 150 miles in the first 24 hours for an average of 6.25 knots. We ran the asym all day June 2 and did between 7 and 9 knots much of the time. The seas have been behind or on the port quarter, mostly long, slow swells about a meter in height, making a very comfortable ride. We took down the asym at dusk and the wind was pretty light for a few hours but picked back up before midnight so we are again sailing in the high 6s and low 7s with one reef in the main and a full jib.
This is the kind of sailing I had been hoping for during this trip. We have had very few days of downwind sailing until now, and we almost never orderly seas that are important for comfort. I’m in my happy place again.
We have also run the water maker a lot so all 3 tanks are full (the water in Hiva Oa was far too dirty to run the water maker) done several loads of laundry (love having a washer / dryer on board) and we have been eating well.
We should pass Napuka, a small atoll in the Tuamotus, around noon today, keeping it about 30 miles to stbd. Then we will make a slight turn and head for Makemo, about 220 miles past Napuka. We don’t know much about Makemo, but the charts show an easily navigable pass into the lagoon, some sort of a town, and an anchorage. So we will go and explore.