Location 15° 41S, 149° 34W
Sunday, 09.30.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 15° 41S, 149° 34W at noon today. We have about 106 NM to go to Rangiroa. The weather is changeable. We had been more or less close hauled on the starboard tack, more or less heading for Rangiroa from noon yesterday to noon today. Light winds, 10-12 knots from the Southeast, but adequate to move the Maggie B at 4-6 knots. Lovely sailing. At noon today we got a little frontal passage, and now we are close hauled on the port tack, heading more or less for Rangiroa. A typical 120 degree wind shift. There are small rain squalls all around, so we are ready for anything.

Lunch today was our friend Livio’s avocados from Bora Bora with four clove garlic vinaigrette dressing (courtesy of the Captain), with French brie cheese, small, hot pork sausages and Arnold’s Ship Biscuits. Dessert was Charlie’s perfect papayas with lime juice. Washed down by the Schooner Maggie B’s finest desalinated water.

Most sailors know the term “marlin spike.” It is an essential tool for splicing and opening difficult knots. Few realize that marlin spikes were, in fact, marlin spikes, that is, the beak of marlin fish. Hannah and I are vastly fortunate to have been given nice marlin spikes from our friend Richard Postma. They have had the chance to dry out for a year. Now they need to be sanded and polished and appropriately decorated with fancy work.

At current speed, we will arrive at Rangiroa during the night. We will either slow down as we get close or find a nice spot to heave to, well off the reef. The Pacific Islands Pilot says that we can expect slack water in the pass “5 hours after moonrise; 4 hours before moonset; 5 hours after moonset; and 3 hours before moonrise.” We’ll see.

All is well.