Correction: S/V Samadhi V - Passage from Costa Rica to Hawaii, Day 9

Pat pointed out an error in our Lat/Long. Here's what it should have read:

Position: 12 00.211N
Longitude: 097 09.669W

We've been making good speed this morning, between 4 & 6 knots. Our current position (1702 UTC) is

11 59.788'N by 97 20.976'W

Thanks for pointing it out Pat!

S/V Samadhi V - Passage from Costa Rica to Hawaii, Day 9

Date: 08 May 2009 1400 UTC (0800 Samadhi Time)
Distance sailed in last 24 hours: 78 nm
Distance to Hilo, Hawaii: 3397 nm
Position: 12 00.211N
Longitude: 090 09.669W
COG: 265M
SOG: 4.5 kts under sail
Wind: 8 kts S with variation from many squalls
Seas: 3 ft swell from the SE, small wind waves
Weather: 80% Cloud Cover
Barometric Pressure: 1009.0 mb, rising
Sea Temperature: 88 F

The wind is increasing in fits and starts. We've been seeing the strongest winds in the very early morning and early afternoon. The wind is usually most calm sometime in the late afternoon. Several times over the last 24 hours we have seen more than 10 knots of wind, sometimes over 15 when squalls pass by. The average wind speed continues to be low, and our distance covered since yesterday reflects that. However, the last 24 hours of sailing never saw Samadhi completely stopped, a welcome change! Another side effect of the marginally increased wind has been the elimination of the "glassy" appearance of the ocean.

Yesterday's weather continued to be very hot. Today has dawned cooler; although, this might be simply due to the increased cloud coverage. Squalls are becoming more frequent, carrying with them more rain the first we've seen in a week. Last night was particularly "squally". We went through a squall about every hour and half. As the squalls approach the wind first shifts dramatically, then dies altogether. The drop in wind is followed closely by rain, which usually starts out strong and then steadies before tapering off. The individual drops can be very large. After the squall passes, the wind freshens significantly, and Samadhi surges forward eager to repeat the cycle.

A positive of the rain is the free washdown the boat is receiving. A negative is having to close most of the ports and hatches during the strongest rain. The humidity is quite high here, and depriving yourself of refreshing airflow suddenly makes the boat feel 100% hotter. Luckily, we haven't needed to keep the boat closed for more than 30 minutes at a time.

More swallows have come to roost aboard Samadhi. We have now seen three simultaneously aboard! The poor little birds are completely exhausted and spend most of their time sleeping. Remarkably tame, they will perch on your finger and drink water from a saucer. We have lots of photos and videos to share of these wonderful companions. It looks like something from a Disney tale. We have no idea what the birds are doing so far out to sea. The nearest land is Puerto Ángel, Mexico, over 230 miles off our beam.

Phillip baked more bread yesterday, this time whole wheat with flour hand-imported from Germany by Bernd and Renate. When we make bread, we typically cook two loaves and expect to make more every other day. Unfortunately a ravenous mob attacked the first loaf almost as soon as it was out of the oven. The homemade mayonnaise has also disappeared under similarly suspicious circumstances.

S/V Samadhi V - Passage from Costa Rica to Hawaii, Day 8

Date: 07 May 2009 1400 UTC (0800 Samadhi Time)
Distance in last 24 hours: 50 nm
Distance to Hilo, Hawaii: 3465 nm
Position: 11 57.842N
Longitude: 096 00.930W
COG: 263M
SOG: 3.5 kts under sail
Wind: 5 kts N
Seas: glassy calm, barely discernible SE swell
Weather: 30% Cloud Cover
Barometric Pressure: 1009.5 mb, rising
Sea Temperature: 89 F

Shortly after sending yesterday's email we decided to secure the main engine and let the wind do her worst. Samadhi sat, barely moving, for a couple of hours before the wind freshened slightly. By early afternoon we had 8 kts of wind and were progressing steadily along towards our destination at a whopping 5 or 6 kts. By dinner time, the wind had slacked again and clocked around aft, but there was at least enough to continue along on course throughout the night at a knot or two.

Yesterday was mostly a quiet day around Samadhi. Phillip transferred the diesel that was in jerry cans to the tanks to get the weight off the decks and continued troubleshooting our barbecue that's been giving us the cold shoulder while Kelly worked with the boys on their Calvert, shepherded the produce stores, and generally tidied up.

Lunch saw us cooking the last of the yellowfin, so we got out the rods again to see if we could land something fresh. Since we were only moving at 3 to 5 kts, we were able to troll two lures that rarely see the ocean: the stretch sea snake (a present from Abuela Linda) and Nicholas's sea witch (bought at a little tienda in La Cruz de Huanacatle, Mexico). I'm sure you can imagine Nicholas's delight both that we were fishing again and that we were trolling two of his favorite lures.

With the wind's return, we started seeing more boobies around us. Some alit on the bow, but for the most part they continued on their way. Around 0130 (Samadhi Time) a pod of a dozen or so dolphins swam over to check us out. When they came close, the moonlight revealed their sleek bodies gliding through the clear waters. They hung around for a good twenty minutes before heading south.

S/V Samadhi V - Passage from Costa Rica to Hawaii, Day 7

Date: 06 May 2009 1400 UTC (0800 Samadhi Time)
Distance in last 24 hours: 95 nm
Distance to Hilo, Hawaii: 3507 nm
Position: 11 59.85N
Longitude: 095 18.12W
COG: 260M
SOG: 1.0 - 2.5 kts under sail
Wind: 4 kts NNW
Seas: glassy calm
Weather: 30% Cloud Cover
Barometric Pressure: 1010.4 mb
Sea Temperature: 89 F

Samadhi V continues to be becalmed. All of us are hoping for a change soon.

Our weather router suggested that we bear off from the GC route on the chance there might be a few more kts of wind a little to our south. Given that this would be at least a 50% increase in windspeed over what we've been seeing the last few days, it sounded like a good idea to us.

We changed course around 1500 UTC yesterday making for 11 50N by 100 00W. So far, there's been no change in conditions. Each time we thought the wind was freshening, it died almost as soon as we could get the big genoa set. We remain vigilant and try to take advantage of the wind when it is around. We have been doing a lot of 20 minute sails.

We spent some time talking about during the "age of sail" when ships would be becalmed, sometimes for months. It's difficult to relate to the kids just how different things were for the early explorers and navies. Tales of scurvy and throwing horses into the sea seem quite distant as we drink refrigerated fruit drinks with ice and we top off our water tanks with our desalinator. Predicting the weather meant looking outside, not contacting a shoreside professional over satellite for assistance. The one thing we all agree on is that we would rather be here aboard Samadhi than one of Drake's ships!

It was another day spent largely in the kitchen and trying to use up pineapple. Phillip made two different yeast breads, one batch of white loaves and one cinnamon-pineapple-filled sweet loaf. The boat never smelled so good! Kelly cooked up a large batch of bolognese sauce while we've got the extra electricity to allow use of the big fans. Phillip's garlic bread provided a delightful accompaniment. We tried cooking a test batch of the yellowfin tuna with rice and seasonings in the rice cooker. The result was edible, but an insult to the fish which ended up dry and chewy. We finally finished the yellowfin tuna soup, which remained delicious even when reheated! As there are still several pounds of fresh tuna, I am sure there will be further tuna cooking experiments.

Mid-morning brought the sounds of an engine not aboard Samadhi, and Nicholas called out for us to "come quick". We were greeted to the sight of a US Navy E-3 flying low overhead. We got on the radio in case they monitor maritime frequencies and asked for a couple of rolls. Whatever the reason, the never turned back, but kept on towards southern Mexico.

The boobies have left for parts unknown, but yesterday afternoon we had another avian visitor. Some sort of little swallow decided to hitch a ride aboard. We have no idea what it's doing so far from land, but we're happy for the company. I was clearly exhausted and only the tiniest bit wary of us. For a long time it perched at the companionway opening as we all passed inches away going and coming. Before long, it was accepting food and water and climbing onto our fingers. Shortly after nightfall, it flew off. We'll see if it appears on the lifelines later today.

In the glassy water, it's much easier to see the flying fish surrounding us. Samadhi will occasionally scare up schools of them ahead, many gliding for well over a hundred meters before plunging back to the depths. We've also discovered what we call "mosquito flying fish" which are almost too small to see when there's even the slightest ripples in the water. Great packs of them fly up from alongside and scatter, except over hundreds of inches instead of meters like their big brothers. Maybe that's what our little friend the swallow has been after.

We found a cracked circuit breaker on the generator's DC circuit. The plastic case of the circuit breaker had succumbed to heat and vibration of 21 years of life in the engine room and split. With the split case, any vibration could cause the circuit breaker to trip, even without any wires attached to it! We didn't have a spare 10 amp 12v breaker, so Phillip created a harness that accepts a 10 amp blade fuse (which we have lots of). The fix worked flawlessly. We can order another breaker in Hawaii.

The adverse ocean current is less now than it has been, at times venturing on favorable. If we don't get some wind soon, we'll likely secure the engine, put out the flopper stoppers (to keep us from rolling much), and bide our time. Let's all think windy thoughts and maybe it won't come to that. The forecast shows stronger winds arriving in a few days, so we aren't worried.

S/V Samadhi V - Passage from Costa Rica to Hawaii, Day 6

Date: 05 May 2009 1400 UTC (0800 Samadhi Time)
Distance in last 24 hours: 79 nautical miles
Distance to Hilo, Hawaii: 3560 nm
Position: 12 01.140N
Longitude: 093 43.113W
COG: 282M
SOG: 3.3 knots under power
Wind: 3 knots
Seas: glassy calm
Weather: 40% Cloud Cover
Barometric Pressure: 1011.1 mb rising
Sea Temperature: 88 F

Conditions are more of the same. Flat calm ocean with little to no wind. Tried to actively sail this morning following every little breath of wind, but only managed to make about a knot, and there's still a current of about a knot setting against us. For now it's back to motoring.

The skies are changing, and we're seeing tall cumulus most of the time around us. (On the other hand, this morning is mostly high cirrus and a little haze.) They occasionally bring squalls, but mostly they just enhance the scenery. The ocean is a deep clear azure.

Yesterday was still and hot. In the late morning, we dropped the sails and went for a swim. It cannot be exaggerated how crystal clear the water is. We took the opportunity to check the bottom and the prop. Both still look excellent.

Just as we were thinking we may have had enough, Phillip sighted dolphins off the port side. We swam over and waited to see if they would come close, and sure enough, the porpoises were soon all around us. These were larger than the little spinners from Sunday with a deeply curved dorsal fin; a short, pronounced nose; and faint speckles down their sides.

They seemed to be as curious about us as we were about them. There were maybe two dozen in the pod, but three in particular seemed fascinated by us. Those, a pair always swimming together, would make a bee line straight for us and then turn away with about 10 feet to spare, only to come back around a repeat the run. The whole while they were chattering away in clicks and chirps. Nicholas does a very good imitation.

Since conditions are so quiet, we took the opportunity to catch up on laundry. We ran three loads through the machine, and Samadhi was festooned while it all dried out on the lifelines.

Kelly's parents, Kathy and Pat, called yesterday afternoon on the satphone and chatted for a little while. We were all very excited to be able to wish them a happy 35th anniversary over more than just email. They also had a lead on a safe harbor on the Kona side of Hawaii at Kawaihae. We're planning to look into it once we get to Hilo.

S/V Samadhi V - Passage from Costa Rica to Hawaii, Day 5

Date: 04 May 2009 1400 UTC (0800 Samadhi Time)
Distance in last 24 hours: 98 nautical miles
Distance to Hilo, Hawaii: 3639 nm
Position: 11 39.237N
Longitude: 092 25.525W
COG: 283M
SOG: 3.3 knots
Wind: dead calm
Seas: glassy calm
Weather: 50% Cloud Cover
Barometric Pressure: 1011.1 mb, rising
Sea Temperature: 87 F

Sea is still flat as we continue on the giant lake called "Pacific".
There are a lot more puffy cumulus clouds now, some bringing very brief
showers as they drift past. Unfortunately, along with the flat calm sea
we continue to see very little wind. These days we get very excited
aboard Samadhi when the wind tops 5 knots!

We have been sailing when we can, and judiciously using the engine when
we can't. Our speeds have been very low to conserve fuel. Through the
night we have been pushing against a current which cuts into our speed
towards Hawaii. Our headsail furlers are getting a workout, as we unfurl
and furl the genoa and staysail several times a day.

The boys are having a great time, and they don't seem to even notice we
are at sea. Yesterday's fun was when 3 boobies (birds) decided to take
up residence aboard Samadhi. As the birds stood on our bow pulpit, they
didn't care if you walked right up to them! Alexander and Nicholas took
turns touching the birds, which appears to annoy them but they still
don't leave. I have never seen wild birds so tame before. We are also
seeing a lot more sea turtles, balanced by fewer flying fish and
dolphins visit us throughout the day to say hi.

The pineapples from Saturday helped Kelly to create TWO delicious
pineapple upside down cakes. Kelly clearly understands that the only
thing better than a fresh baked cake is two fresh baked cakes.
Amazingly, we still have an absurd amount of fresh pineapple in the fridge.

The yellowfin tuna we caught yesterday was turned into a delicious lunch
of sashimi. The ahi tuna was accompanied by imported Japanese rice,
tomato salad and pickled ginger (gari) as well as the usual wasabi and
soy sauce. We made fresh guacamole for a snack in the afternoon. Dinner
was yellowfin tuna soup with fresh vegetables and habenero pepper... It
was so good that Nicholas didn't even notice it was spicy! We still have
a LOT of yellowfin tuna in the fridge, which is not a bad problem to have.

The generator is back to normal operation after the last of the air was
purged from the fuel system. We can operate without the generator, but
it's certainly nice to have. It feels much better to replenish the fresh
water tanks.

Yesterday evening everyone gathered on the foredeck at sunset. We sat
out in the pleasant tropical evening and chatted with each other while
the stars began to appear. Although we would like stronger winds to fill
our sails and get our speed up, these days of tranquil peace are truly
wonderful. Being forced to slow down has given us the opportunity to see
and appreciate things that otherwise we might have missed as we rushed past.

S/V Samadhi V - Passage from Costa Rica to Hawaii, Day 4

Date: 02 May 2009 1400 UTC (0800 Samadhi Time)
Distance in last 24 hours: 128 nautical miles
Distance to Hilo, Hawaii: 3737 nm
Position: 11 11.616N
Longitude: 090 49.648W
COG: 283M
SOG: 4.0 knots
Wind: 4 knots from SSW
Seas: Sea calm
Weather: 40% Cloud Cover
Barometric Pressure: 1012.5 mb, steady
Sea Temperature: 87 F

Glassy ocean and no apparent wind. Sunny and hot with high cirrus.

We had a mellow day yesterday. There's a long period swell of less than
a foot running. It really feels like we're boobing around in a lake. The
wind was light, but we managed to sail until about 2200 UTC. Then, as is
quickly becoming a tradition on this passage, we started up the main
engine. We tried to sail a couple of times during the night, but the
wind couldn't keep us moving above a knot. In case we continued in these
calms, we've throttled back to basically just over idle, where we're
only making 4 kts.

The boys started Calvert yesterday. It's their last unit of their last
year before returning to land. Looks like it should keep them occupied
for at least part of the cruise.

Phillip and Kelly had to process a bunch of pineapples after they
started to spoil. The rest of the produce is doing well. It still seems
like an impossibly huge amount of food, but four people eating three
meals a day consume quite a bit. Phillip made fresh bread and mayonnaise
so that we could have homemade sloppy joes and carrot-raisin salad for
supper.

The genset seems to have air in the fuel lines, but no amount of
bleeding made it want to run for more than five or ten minutes at a
stretch in the afternoon. We even changed out the (perfectly good) fuel
filter in case that was part of the issue. We're confident that we'll
get to the bottom of it today.

Last night passed uneventfully. Watches are becoming easier to get
through now that we're acclimating to the schedule underway. There was a
large vessel that passed about two-thirds of a mile from us around 0830
UTC, but otherwise there was nothing to see but the twinkling of the
stars in the sky and the glittering of the phosphorescence in our wake.

Kelly got up about 1340 UTC this morning to take watch, and Nicholas
came out of his room about the same time. Not more than three minutes
later, we heard the clicker on the starboard reel go off. Nicholas
quickly threw on his harness while Phillip and Kelly went to bring in
our catch. We were greeted by an amazing sight. All around us near the
boat were hundreds of spinner dolphins and beyond them we saw thousands
of tuna jumping high into the air, even higher than the acrobatic little
porpoises. Sure enough, it was a yellow fin on the line. Kelly spent
about twenty minutes fighting him. When he got close enough to leader,
both Alexander and Nicholas tried to support the rod. Nicholas's
reaction was, "Wow! He's heavy!" Indeed, he was.

Phillip gaffed him and brought her over the lifelines. Once she was on
the deck we killed her quickly, and Nicholas snapped a couple of photos
before Phillip made the cuts to bleed the fish and hung her over the side.

Tuna are special because they actually raise their body temperature
while struggling. To have the highest quality meat, it's important to
let as much of the blood out as possible before it literally cooks the
fish from the inside out. The boys are partial to sashimi, and bleeding
is doubly important for it.

Just as Phillip started processing the fish, the spinner dolphins
returned, hundreds of them right alongside the boat! Nicholas and Kelly
went to the bow to get a better view of the show. Nicholas even saw them
chasing yellowfin tuna, trying to catch their own!

Phillip got a minor cut on his knee when separating the second fillet
from the spine of our tuna. That's why we have a medical kit though.
Soon, we were all eating steel-cut oatmeal for breakfast with the fish
fillets and eggs chilling in the freezer. We had to move a bunch of the
other meat to the fridge to accommodate the tuna. Hope we're feeling
hungry later on!

S/V Samadhi V - Passage from Costa Rica to Hawaii, Day 3

Date: 02 May 2009 1400 UTC (0800 Samadhi Time)
Distance in last 24 hours: 162 nautical miles
Distance to Hilo, Hawaii: 3865 nm
Position: 10 35.032N
Longitude: 088 445.946W
COG: 286M
SOG: 6.5 knots
Wind: 7 knots from N
Seas: Sea calm
Weather: 80% Cloud Cover
Barometric Pressure: 1011.8 mb, rising
Sea Temperature: 78 F

Variable conditions and still no stable wind. Good sailing yesterday in
sloppy seas through the early afternoon. The wind dropped steadily after
that so that by 2200 UTC (Samadhi is currently at -0600, so that's 4
p.m.), we were down to 4 nautical miles/hour or less. Then we started
motoring.

The seas initially quieted sometime in the mid-evening (I'd guess around
0200 UTC, but I was sleeping.) Samadhi felt like a bathtub toy bobbing
around on the briny. The wind moved off of our port (left) bow, sat
there basically on the nose (from directly ahead of us) most of the
night at less than 5 kts.

The wind shifted back to the north and freshened around the end of our
second watch, so that we could start sailing again at about 1100 UTC.
Unfortunately, it's dying again, so we'll see how long we can continue
under sail.

S/V Samadhi V - Passage from Costa Rica to Hawaii, Day 2

Date: 01 May 2009 1400 UTC (0800 Samadhi Time)
Distance in last 15 hours: 88 nautical miles
Distance to Hilo, Hawaii: 4027 nm
Position: 09 46.988N
Longitude: 086 08.057W
COG: 286M
SOG: 8.5 knots
Wind: 15 knots from NNE
Weather: Sunny and clear with high clouds after a squally night
Visibility: 10 miles
Barometric Pressure: 1010.7 mb, steady
Sea Temperature: 88 F

We motored in light winds and calm seas for most of the night in the
company of numerous thunderstorms. Around 1200 UTC the wind picked up
enough to sail.

Right now, we're in lumpy seas off of Punta Guiones, Costa Rica, the
last land we'll see for many days. The going here is definitely sloppy.
The steep wind waves from the Gulf of Papagayo should diminish as we get
further from land.

The wind picked up suddenly about 30 minutes ago. We went from 155%
genoa, staysail, and main to just staysail and main. Now if only the
seas would flatten out, we'd be happy as kittens.