N 05° 49.829
E 171° 45.163

Normally when I sail longer distances, I never use the engines to bridge a no or very low wind zone.

Now, I’m in the situation that the forecast is not matching the reality at all. Based on my experience with forecast in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, a large area with low and no winds, I have to consider that we might need a week or so to make the final 130 NM.

Looking just back for the last 12 h, there is no wind to sail although forecast says there is wind to sail. The typical TWS is maximum 2 Bft in the last 12 h. Not enough wind to sail even with the gennaker.

Triggered by a thought of Vili, my Swiss based sailing friend and wind advisor, that the wind can change to NE or any other N-component wind, let me decide to make the last 130 NM using the engines whenever we don’t have wind for sailing at least 4+ KN. So we are running now with the engines through a very calm sea, with a short (about 50 m) swell of only 1 m height, and wind waves of less than 50 cm. In the Douglas wind and swell coding system we have wind waves of class 2 and a swell of class 1.

I am about finishing my second watch this night. Tobi might come soon out of his bed.

After breakfast, I have to do again admin work on my PC. The internet world requires that. Inbound clearance is a lot of work to be done prior to arriving in a country. I’m working on the inbound clearance for Marshall Islands with daily ETA updates. For Micronesia I got, after gentle reminders, a mail stating that the team is on standby for our arrival. For Japan I’m still trying to get the OK for arrival. No answer so far. Even my OBM sent a mail. Will try now an port authorities email and an SAR email address to find out more.

Beside this, we will enjoy bananas, bananas, bananas. However, last night dinner was the last tuna confit with roasted sweet potatoes, cucumbers, onions, and olives. A confit is a good way to preserve fresh fish for weeks.