Day 27 - Land Ho!!

126 miles for 3147 and 20 to go at 10 13S 138 32W

The sun came up (sorta, behind lots of clouds) to show Fata Hiva dead ahead and Hiva Oa 90 degrees to starboard. The GPS worked!!! First dirt in 28 days! It is just grey shapes on the horizon so far. It looks like you should be able to see Hiva Oa from the anchorage 45 miles away.

We are about 15 miles out with an arrival time of 10:20 to the first waypoint to round the island. It will bee about another hour after that to Bay of Virgins where we intend to anchor. It used to be called Bay of Pinuses, but somebody changed it. There are a row of rock pinnacles just up from the beach that inspire the thought.

It was a long night. It started with a little too much wind. We didn't sleep well night before last because of the strong wind kept auto from steering too well. Ever 30 minutes or so we had to reset it. So when we could see, we reefed the main. That slowed us down a little. All day the wind kept slowing, but so gradually that I didn't notice. We left the sails short all day and through the night. At first it seemed OK cause I didn't want to arrive in the dark. But now it will be after lunch before
we get there and anchored. Oh well, at least we can get some "arrival" photos, which we would not have, in the dark.

Instant oatmeal for breakfast. It sure is not as good as the regular 5 minute kind. Maybe they sell it here? Then canned roast beef, instant mashed potatoes, corn and rolls made with regular flour (sorry Donnie didn't get any) for supper. Trinda made jello again, but we ate too much of the other to eat it. Maybe today.

No fish although Trinda did get one on the line for a few minutes. Long enough that Donnie had time to go get the net ready, But it got off before any of saw what it was. Maybe we need some new hooks?