Todayʻs Report from Hōkūle‘a

Palmyra Voyage Log - Date 3.15.09 11:26 AM

We are trying to make up lost time as yesterday we made very little progress forward. Bruce estimates that we went about 21 miles south on our reference course, far from the target average distance of 120 miles at 5 knots. Kama Hele began towing us at sunset last night and we are still on tow this morning. We will keep towing until we find a strong and steady wind. This decision was made in order to achieve our dual goal of reaching Palmyra and allowing time for exploring its environment so that we could bring home a story about caring for our reefs.

Current Weather (wind, rain, cloud systems, ocean conditions):
A dominant low pressure system west of Kaua‘i has created a pattern of light winds south of the Hawaiian Islands (at 14-15 degrees north).
 
Our current course (star house & compass bearing):
We are headed Haka Kona (south/southwest), 6 knots
 
We set our course in the early morning using the rising sun. Throughout the day, we keep our course using a dominant northwest swell, which approaches our canoe from the rear quarter (starboard).
 
-Hōkū Pa’a is estimated at 13.5 degrees above the horizon.
-What is the moon phase? Poepoe
 
What was our last two or three meals:  Did we catch any fish?
Dinner – orzo pasta with sundried tomatoes, tofu/carrot/onion stirfry, Spam and onions, mandarin oranges for dessert.
Breakfast today – granola with soy milk, oatmeal, left over orzo, more mandarin oranges, coffee, cocoa, tea
We saw a marlin swim by. At first, we thought it was a dolphin but it definitely was not when we saw its dorsal fin that looked like a sail.
 
Observations in Nature (marine life, birds…)
Saw a sooty tern this morning as well as a masked booby. (see note on marlin, above)
 
Crew reflection/update
We are learning to be better steers people and becoming more familiar with the star lines. We also learned how to set the tow at night with precision.
 
We have lots of interesting stories to share at night during watch, especially at 3 am when we need to keep ourselves awake.
The midnight shift rehearsed the Palmyra entry chant (Oli Komo No Palamila) and went over the stars. They focused on ke ka o makali‘i and also tracked the false cross and southern cross.
 
The 2 am shift talked about cooking various types of dishes for pupu. We shared various recipes, which we’d like to try when we get back home. We also talked about missing each other after this voyage is over.
 
(To Auntie Millie from previous post) Dear Mrs. Wellington, this is Chris Baird a crew member with Keala Kai on Hōkūle‘a.  Thank you for the email.  We are having a great time.  We have Kaua‘i in our thoughts as we head for Palmyra.  I look forward to seeing you next time I visit the Garden Isle.