Todayʻs Report from Hōkūle‘a

Palmyra Voyage Log - Date 3.12.09 11:00 AM
 
Current Weather (wind, rain, cloud systems, ocean conditions):
“This is sweet” says Dr. Craig. We had smooth sailing yesterday and today. Itʻs been a bit difficult to steer downwind because the swells are trying to swing the canoe. Luckily, we have AWESOME watch captains who are helping us keep a straight course so we can let Bruce navigate.

There are low level thunder clouds surrounding us, making it harder to navigate at night time.

Significant weather in past 24 hours (altered sail/rigging/repairs to canoe):
The winds have picked up a bit, but we have been lucky to stay away from the huge rain squalls on our side.

Our current course (star house & compass bearing):
We are heading hema (straight south) right now, hoping to be east of Palmyra when we get to 6 degrees north.

Our present estimated speed (or average over the past few hours):
We have been going about 5 knots. We put up the spinnaker yesterday, which has really helped us to catch a lot of wind and increase our speed.

Stars and Planets used for navigation during previous night:
The clouds started to cover the sky last night, making it difficult to navigate. We used Hokupa’a (North Star) mostly, and when it disappeared behind the clouds, we used Puana (Procyon) and Hānaiakamalama (Southern Cross).

Hoku Pa’a is estimated at 19 degrees above the horizon.

What is the moon phase? Full moon last night.

What was our last two or three meals:  Did we catch any fish?
We almost caught a mahi, but it escaped! We have eaten spaghetti, stir fry, taro pancakes, saimin and lots of coffee and crackers. We still have fresh fruit and veggies that should last us for the next few days.
 
Observations in Nature (marine life, birds…)
We had a noddy tern hitch hiking a ride for the day, sitting on the bag of the canoe and taking a rest.  We also saw albatrosses, brown noddy terns, ‘iwa birds and sooty terns.
 
Crew reflection/update
We are all very happy that we waited for the perfect weather to depart Hawai‘i. The whole crew is in great spirits and working well together. We have been learning how to use the side sweeps to help steer us south, and we are also learning to steer by the swells when we can’t see the sun.
 
Thank you everyone for supporting us on this voyage… we will keep you posted as we get closer to Palmyra!!!
 
LIFE IS GOOD!!!
 
Take care,
 
Jenna