Day 18

We crossed the equator yesterday morning on my watch, at 5:15 AM, with the first light of dawn just barely above the horizon. I woke up the captain and crew so all could watch the countdown on the GPS, poured out a bit of tequila for King Neptune, and gave my own private thanks. We postponed the group celebration for later in the morning - costumes, toasts, and good cheer!

We were surprised to be sailing in 7 kts of breeze by noon, less surprised to be motoring again last night. The doldrums can extend quite far on either side of the equator, so we have been lucky to sail as much as we have.

Everyone's thoughts have now turned toward the islands that are still nearly 700 miles away. We broke out the French textbook and started practicing useful phrases. We have read and re-read descriptions of anchorages, inter-island routes, and shoreside attractions. However, we are still 6 or 7 days away, with lighter than normal winds in the forecast. This morning's position: 2 deg 00 min S, 130 deg 15 min W.