Thursday May 23, 2024 – 6:55pm HST

CRAIG WEATHER REPORT: Winds averaging around 15kts…gradually increasing to 17kts for a strong finish by the 29th. Tor estimated 6 days [arriving on the 29th]. I agree. Considering all factors of wind, sailing angle, wave height, and crew fatigue…I would still post late on the 29th for ETA. Fortunately, there is no threat of an “impending Low Pressure” system on the islands through June 02. I cannot predict past then. It will be a safe voyage with seas no greater than 8 feet. Consistent trades. High pressure.

Friday May 24, 2024 – 5:13am HST

Lots of squalls last night. Still making good time but less sail. I hit 13 knots surfing yesterday 😳. Bad news is second water tank is nasty with mung.

KYOKO: So sorry about the second water tank getting nasty. Do you have enough bottled water to hold you over? Do you have desalination kits?

Did an experiment: two clear bottles of tank water. Yellowish, with what looks like sperm floaters. Added bleach to one. Now it is clear. With sperm floaters.

We got the spinnaker up!! She is beautiful and she is driving us along in light winds. AND I flew the new drone! Colors are stunning. Hard to land. But I win!!

KYOKO: Sperm floaters, nice. 🤣 Who’s going to be the first person to drink it? Are they going to be considered gay? Glad you got the spinnaker up. Can’t wait to see photos.

Friday May 24, 2024 – 6:25pm HST

KYOKO: I need more updates in order to send an email update! You only sent me a few small texts. Tell me more about what’s going on. How’s Tracy feeling, e.g. any more coughing? How was Rowan’s berry pie? What is Quinn’s latest hero act?

Ran the spinnaker all day. Landed the drone twice. Tracy says “it’s not gay if we were forced.” …..and now we found oil in the bilge! I had to climb into ALL lockers. I think we may have solved it. A loose oil filter from the mechanic in San Diego. Exhausted.

KYOKO: Oh man one thing after another re oil. Isn’t that always the case? 🤣 Good job climbing into the lockers and figuring it out. Okay I’ve come up with a new acronym. LGBTQIAGFS – the GFS is Gay for Survival as in “we were forced.”

(KYOKO NOTE: Tor and I of course have no issues with homosexuality or any type of sexuality but we think it’s funny that straight men are really sensitive about people thinking they’re gay.)

CRAIG WEATHER UPDATE: I’m showing their fastest route to stay around 25N for another 1-2 days. Also a more comfortable sea state. They are going to have squalls regardless of route this time of year. Sorry about the water! Do they have a water maker? Less rain on 25-26th. Glad they are still at the 25N latitude mark. Hope they ride the 25N through tomorrow. It will situate them well for the final push.

Saturday May 25, 2024 – 5:17am

Gay for Survival. That’s good. 🤣

We are trying to decide when to gybe over and head SW for HI. Craig says wait, but if we do get SE winds later they’d lift us and might make it by gybing now. Hmmm. No water maker but lots of bottled water aboard.

KYOKO: It looks like trade winds for the foreseeable future.

The mechanic who made this gawdawful mess was named Fernando. I have started singing in Spanish “ay Fernando, why have you forsaken me!!”

KYOKO: You can also sing the ABBA song Fernando:

🎶 There was something in the air that night
The stars were bright, Fernando
They were shining there for you and me
For liberty, Fernando 🎶

Right. That will get us there!

Yes! He was funny. He apologized for his bad English. Then he said “Some genius thought it was a good idea to mix one different screw in here with the others” 🤣 I told him his English was excellent.

CRAIG WEATHER REPORT: I think from 26N, Tor is correct. Time to gybe. Let me take a look…

If they gybe now, they will be on a port tack with wind angle of 170 degrees. This wind angle will improve your P135 by late tomorrow and stay that way for the rest of their crossing. 170 will be a challenging angle today but they’ve got daylight on their side with wave heights below 6 feet. Definitely possible.

Please let Tor know about True Wind Angles. Gybe now…maintain p160-P170 TWA until the 26th. Then they’ll be able to relax the angle to P135. Definitely time to gybe as the North Pacific high will be weakening through the 27th…then strengthening again from 27-29th.