440 miles to go

Things are slightly brighter and easier today. The sea has calmed a bit and we're not taking water over the boat as often. We're flying a reefed main, the yankee and staysail, to maintain speed but not get walloped. We're making an average of 6.6 knots so far, with a couple of 170+ mile days. We expect to be in NZ sometime on Tuesday (NZ time). We've passed a number of boats which is good for moral. Physically I'm making the adjustment to the motion. It takes me 48 hours of rough seas to acclimate. I don't get particularly nauseous, but extremely lethargic and sleepy. I feel like my limbs are made of lead, which makes taking care of the kids a supreme effort. After the first 2 days, I get used to it and start to function again. By the time we get into port though we're both pretty sleep deprived. Ellie is still pretty nauseous and can't keep food down. She's sleeping alot, which is unusual for her. Carter is fine, but just can't seem to stop talking. I think his mouth has been running at full tilt since we left. He says whatever he's thinking, whether it's relavent or not. He's in the phase of wishing that he could fly and that magic was real. Don't we all.

We crossed the half way point yesterday and for one brief moment the GPS registered 17 knots. Pete announced it on the radio and now people are trying to top that. Rob on Dolphins claimed that he swung from stern to bow on a halyard during the night, holding his GPS, making it clock 27 knots. Wolfgang on Wetnose claimed to have catapolted his GPS out of a slingshot at the whapping speed of 31.5. Can you tell we're all a bit bored and maybe hallucinating? There is also a fishing contest posed by Ocean Breezes. This morning during the net, Chris caught a 24 inch tuna. Walt on Nowa Days retorted, "that's only bait," compared to his 7 foot sailfish from a couple of weeks ago.

We did have a small casualty yesterday during all the squalls and waves breaking over us. One particularly nasty wave made it's way downstairs and splashed the laptop. We've now lost a, s & z keys, so I'm writing from the backup computer. Why couldn't it have been x & v?

We're making plans for all the things we want to buy at the grocery store once we reach civilization. Bagels, ice cream, english muffins, cottage cheese, yogurt, fresh milk and tortillas top the list. I'd like to find some decent crackers and cereal too. A lot of the stuff I bought in Tonga turned out to be so far past it's expiration date, as to be stale. I'm not sure if they send the expired stuff there or if no one buys it except cruisers.

The air and sea temps have dropped significantly down into the low 70's. We're wearing long pants and sweatshirts most of the day and it's actually cold at night. The long summery season is over.

Hanging in there, Kellie