Day 3 Missile to Maui, illustrated by Catharine

Day 3 Missile to Maui

Things picked up with the wind and we tried fishing a bit. Lost the lure within 15 minutes.  So today we made a lure out of a kitkat wrapper. Caught a skipjack or bigeye tuna within 5 minutes. After it was cleaned and in the fridge, we put the line out again... another fish within 10 minutes.  Adam reeled in the first one, and Darin reeled in the second.  They were about the same size and likely about 10-15 pounds.  Sushi for lunch (ironic because we had canned tuna on the menu for lunch anyways).

Last night's breeze was a huge lift in spirits for the group. As midnight approached, the waters were calm and the boat felt like a rocket on flat water as it accelerated into more wind that fed further increases in speed.

The morning came with some of the most aggressive sailing the boat has seen to date. We were smoking at well over 8 knots off of the tops of 12 foot waves that were coming right on our nose.

If half of the boat wasn't in the air, then two thirds of it was, followed by a thunder clap as all fifty feet of the hull dropped like a sack of hammers into the tale of each crest. Every effort was made by the skilled helmsmen to avoid slamming the boat, but heavy seas were coming from all sides and at least once each half an hour a group of rogue waves would cause the boat to come down so hard that you could feel the fillings in your mouth coming loose.

Everything I have read about the Vic-Maui lead me to believe that it is a short upwind tacking derby followed by a lengthy downwind slog with only a single turn that takes place near San Francisco. This race has been anything but that. We have been fighting our way up wind for the past three days and it looks like we will be continuing to do so for the foreseeable future.

To celebrate Darin's birthday, Travis baked some birthday brownies and the team selected a few of their favorite books for him to enjoy on the voyage. Reading is definitely a great time killer when the boat gets stuck in a lull!

Ty and Steve T. are proving to be deadly helmsmen again today. They are keeping the boat moving fast as the wind shifts in direction and speed.

After the fishing lure was snapped off the rod when Adam hooked a Great White Shark (his claim), he was put to work creating a "fancy lad beverage of the day". Today's signature beverage is the "Hazelnut Moca de la Mer". For those at home following along, the recipe is:

1 Starbucks Via Coffee Sleeve
2 Cups of desalinized Pacific sea water (substitute tap water, if none available)
1 Heaping Tablespoon of Nutella
Stir aggressively, add milk to taste.

Travis and Jason continue to periodically huddle over the computer and make adjustments to our headings and are doing a fantastic job of keeping us out of trouble and in as much breeze as we need to keep the boat moving. <knock on wood>

Darin's meals have continued to exceed the expectations of the crew. We are now quite concerned that there will be no way of maintaining this level of quality all the way to Maui.

It is now close to midnight and the boat is humming along in a great groove that we hope persists through tomorrow.

If you are reading this, then your are certainly in our thoughts. We are looking forward to seeing you sooner than later!

Miss you all tremendously,

The boys on Turnagain