Today we crossed the equator and became official shellbacks!!! We are fifteen days into our journey and probably have six or seven days and fewer than 1,000 miles left to go. Thus far we’ve been lucky with the weather and winds. We’d saved a bottle of Mellisoni Bollicine sparkling wine, which was a delightful way to celebrate at 7:30 AM! Of course, we also toasted Poseidon and shared a sip with him.

The squalls of the ITCZ seemed to part as we came through, excepting one very rainy night. The winds have been fairly steady and we’ve mostly sailed with very little motoring. As we have limited fuel, Herman has been monitoring our usage very closely.

The days pass quickly as we all have different watch and sleep schedules. We spend most of our time in the shade of the cockpit chatting or reading. Most evenings we have one cocktail and enjoy dinner together while we watch the sunset. One morning in the ITCZ, our sunrise lasted almost an hour.

Of course, Herman always has some maintenance chores and sometimes lets us help. During sunny days, we now have enough solar to hold our own. We have flexible solar panels on top of the entire cockpit canvas.

Our wildlife sitings have been limited to tons of flying fish and some birds. Last night, we had a bird resting on the top of the mast, which must be much more comfortable without the bothersome wind indicator they knocked off. The airhorn and strobe light didn’t seem to bother the bird either. We’re just hopeful the wind anometer stays in place.

We haven’t had any luck fishing, although we haven’t fished every day because conditions weren’t conducive to dealing with a fish if we caught one. Somewhat discouraged with the lures that mimic fish on top of the water, one day I tried a lure that dives as we’re trolling. We were going about seven knots, and much to my surprise, the lure dove with such strength that I wasn’t able to pull it in. After a mighty struggle, Herman was able to land the lure, which we decided should only be used when we’re going a little slower.

It is difficult to describe the tranquility that comes with a trip like this. Internet access via Starlink is a doubled-edged sword in that its presence takes away the solitude of the ocean. We see other boats on tracking programs and we last saw a light in the distance a few nights ago. Even with that connectivity we still have long stretches of time to contemplate and process. Chores like laundry and taking fish off the deck are part of the fun. Here are some photos of those moments.