70) Delivery: day 11

Sadly, we lost the garbage.  The items we did not want to throw in the ocean because they were not biodegradable went into a white plastic bag in the galley.  When the bag filled it was hung off the back.  It just goes to show that the following seas we just had were much angrier than we knew.  The empty white bag is tied to the lifeline off to the right.  The notepaper in the beige canvas bag is now one with the ocean (meaning, soaked with saltwater).  The baby-wipes survived.  That's a mighty clean transom and I guess that's what you get with all that pressure washing from the following sea.  
 

Subject: 1 May AM Update
Sent: May 1, 2011 7:34 AM

Hey.  We're past the bad weather.  We have a slight swell and light winds from the south.  It's very nice to have a break.  Things had moderated last night and the winds veered, so we we able to keep the jib up with no pounding.  The night before we had to reduce speed an go slightly north.  We can't see the waves and swells at night without a moon, so could steer around the big ones.

Motor-sailing now to top off the batteries and keep up speed.  We have a full main and a #3 up.  Our position is 35.3N 136.3W.  Our course is 090T and we are 798 nm from Catalina Island with another 25 nm to the marina.  Five more days at 6 knots.  Winds should be 15 from the north by tomorrow, so hopefully we can do better than that.  Everyone is well, just sleep deprived.  We noticed this morning Clive had his boots on backwards and hadn't noticed for his entire watch.

This sums up the Mark equation.  He was primarily 'dressed down' the first several days offshore and then whenever the sun was shining.  In contrast, Bill's attire was more in line with the rest of the crew.  We felt it was not as Mark thought it was.  The guy was a trooper.

12am 5/1/11 to 12am 5/2/11 (119nm/1,646)