Another great trade wind day.  Virtually no changes to the sails or steering all day.  I did a sextant fix yesterday and got the fix to within 9 miles. Close enough to see the land even if you were aiming at a corner.

We heard Japanese on the VHF radio this morning.  Other have seen Japanese fishing boats and I’m sure this was a pair discussing conditions.  We are now inside the 200 mile territorial waters of the Marquesas so we should find any foreign boats fishing and the local population wouldn’t need to go far off shore.  So shouldn’t get surprises in the night.

We expect to get in on Friday even if the wind goes lighter as expected.

Position: [-8.983,-135.300] at 15:00 local, 23:00 GMT Wed 17th June
24hr run:  156 miles by GPS,  156 miles through water.
227 miles to Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands. ETA at 5 knots: 15:51 GMT 19th June
Wind: ESE 13 knots Sea: Just a SE swell 1.5m
Sky:  a few fluffy clouds

After a few days of the abnormal now we have what we expected.  SE trade winds, a few fluffy clouds and some favourable current.  ETA at this speed is Friday morning.  We can enter the anchorage at night but may slow a little to enter just as it gets light.  Marquesas are 9:30 hours behind GMT.  Kirsty has been able to change her flight to Tahiti so we now have a few days to explore the Marquesas Islands but a few days chilling out first!

Position: [-8.672,-132.693] at 15:00 local, 23:00 GMT 16th June
24hr run: 167 miles by GPS, 159 miles through water. Current is back!
383 miles to Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands. ETA at 5 knots: 03:31 GMT 20th June
Wind: ESE 17 knots Sea: SE swell 2m
Sky:  30% cloud cover

So after the entry for yesterday we had a series of heavy rain squalls and the wind went from 8 knots all the way up to 30 knots.  Lots of fiddling, sail changes and getting a little wet. Then at dawn we came out of that zone into normal trade winds.  20 knots or so from the ESE with a light scattering of small cumulus clouds.  One of the pilot books describes what we had as a convergence zone.  These are continuations of the fronts associated with lows down in the roaring fourties.  These convergence zones seem to be a feature of the South Pacific with the one people watch called,  wait for it, the South Pacific Convergence Zone(SPCZ).  It was giving farmers heavy rain in New Zealand last week but more normally is in the Fiji and Tonga area.

Position: [-7.915,-129.973] at 15:00 local, 23:00 GMT 15th June
24hr run: 154 miles by GPS, 160 miles through water.
534 miles to Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands. ETA at 5 knots: 13:00 GMT 20th June
Wind: ESE 22 knots Sea: Short SE swell 2m
Sky:  20% cloud cover[-7.915,-129.973]

The NE winds have just ended.  It was like being north of the equator again.  Changed back just a frontal sstem in Scotland.  Wind died over a 2 hour period and then you could see the new wind coming with the rain.  We are nicely positioned now for the run into the Marquesas.  We should get SE or ESE winds.

Position: [-7.055,-127.529] at 15:00 local, 23:00 GMT
24hr run: 140 miles by GPS, 153 miles through water (0.5 kt current against).
688 miles to Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands. ETA at 5 knots: 19:41 GMT 20th June
Wind: Was NE for 30 hours now E 16 knots Sea: SE and NE swells 2m
Sky:  Was clear now rain showers

At 11:30 last night we were both up keeping out the rain just in the cabin wondering if the windpilot could control a 30 knot squall.  The answer is yes and it has the max speed for this leg at 12.1 knots!  The wind changed to the NE with that squall. We thought it would come back and held onto the port tack too long.  Been on starboard since dawn.  Forecast has the wind going back in the next 12 hours. High through water miles reflects good winds and that we were slow to gybe.

Position: [-7.003,-125.135] at 16:00 local, 23:00 GMT
24hr run: 150 miles by GPS, 169 miles through water.
844 miles to Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands. ETA at 5 knots: 23:05 GMT 20th June
Wind: NE 17 knots Sea: SW and SE swell both 2.5m
Sky:  70% nazy high cloud

The quote in the title is from Pamela Stephenson’s book Treasure Islands subtitled “Sailing the south seas in the wake of Fanny and Robert Louis Stevenson” and certainly true.  David Lunt, who helped crew Giselle across Biscay, gave me this book by Billy Connolly’s wife as amusing reading which it certainly is.  Especially some of the dry quotes from Billy himself.  We hope to see RL Stevenson’s house and grave on the island of Samoa.

Position: [-6.482,-122.682] at 16:00 local, 23:00 GMT
24hr run: 154 miles by GPS, 160 miles through water.
993 miles to Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands. ETA at 5 knots: 05:31GMT 21st June
Wind: ESE 16 knots Sea: SW swell 3m SE Swell 2m.
Sky:  30% small fluffy cumulus

Making excellent progress but having to work a bit harder.  Squalls coming through since the middle of the night with 10 knot wind increase.  All across the Atlantic and in the Caribbean the squalls were just 5 knots so easy to accommodate.  Other close by still struggling with low winds.  We are getting a base of 10-15 with the squalls at 25 knots.

I was enjoying hand steering in the night when they came through and Giselle was sitting at 9 knots for long periods.  No rain in the over night ones which makes them invisible to radar.  Mary read the ones today spot on and we reefed neatly in time to be down below for the rain.

Position: [-6.171,-120.122] at 16:00 local, 24:00 BST
24hr run: 151 miles by GPS, 152 miles through water.
1131 miles to Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands. ETA at 5 knots: 12:11 GMT 21st June
Wind: SE 20 knots Sea: SW swell 3.5m (very big but well apart so easy to ride)
Sky:  Squalls with heavy rain

Strategy of keeping north has worked well.  In much better wind than the boats 60 miles south.  We have been able to sail all day at 6.5 knots.

Our second cargo boat that we have seen since the Galapagos was as surprised as us to see someone else. Kao Shen No 6 altered course 20 degrees to come and see us!  They got to within 5 miles before going back on their course for Zhoushan, China – ETA 6th July.

Position: [-6.001,-117.572] at 16:00 local, 23:00 BST
24hr run: 162 miles by GPS, 151 miles through water.
1298 miles to Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands. ETA at 5 knots: 18:36 GMT 21st June
Wind: SE 13  knots Sea: SW swell 3.0m

Past the halfway point.  Less than 1500 miles to Marquesas Islands.  Quieter conditions, full sails and some motoring at night.  Still trying to keep north for better winds and better sailing angle when the winds go further into the east.  Next half may be slower if the forecast is to be believed.

Position: [-5.775,-114.858] at 16:00 local, 23:00 BST
24hr run:  156 miles by GPS, 151 miles through water.
1460 miles to Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands. ETA at 5 knots: 03:00 GMT 22nd June
Wind: SE 10 Sea: SW swell 1.5m
Sky:  Thin cloud 70% cover

We are very proud of our daughter.  The degree results were announced today and She got a 2.1.  We will be with her in spirit at the graduation ceremony.  Celebration meal will be in some Pacific Island when she joins us in August.

We had a minke whale just behind the boat yesterday.  By just behind I mean less than 30ft!  When we have seen them in Scotland they ignore boats, but this was was having a good look.  He swam from side to side just behind us for a few minutes.  Even under the 30m rope for the tow generator. We could see him under the water as well.

This will be the last position report at 14:00 BST.  New reports starting tomorrow will be 23:00 BST.  The radio propagation makes the evening connection much easier than the morning one now.

Gone due west yesterday as the weather reports have lighter winds to the south.  Should be half way for the report tomorrow at 23:00GMT.

Position: [-5.475,-111.129] at 06:00 local, 14:00 BST
24hr run:  155 miles by GPS,  156 miles through water.
1682 miles to Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands. ETA at 5 knots: 13:28 GMT 22nd June
Wind: SE 13 knots Sea: S swell 2m
Sky:  50% cloud cover clear ahead full cover behind