The Pacific Day 4

• 05 April 2026
• pacific

Sarah here, writing you from somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

It’s day 4 since we did a final fuel up in Cabo (day 6 since we left La Paz and last stepped foot on land) and life on the boat is starting to fall into a bit more of a rhythm.

We’ve eaten our last (very ripe) banana and are cutting into the last of our pineapple today.

We are still doing two person watches, Jesse and I do the 8pm-2am and Dirk and Chelsea take the 2am-8am.

I have never considered myself good at napping but with enough sleep deprivation I’ve found I’m quite capable.

I can fall asleep in the cockpit fully suited up in my life jacket, rain gear, and headlamp, clipped onto the safety lines (Jesse and I take turns sleeping when conditions are staying consistent).

I can sleep below deck in my bunk when my shift is over, rolling side to side, braced with pillows to help from hitting the sides too hard.

Attempting to cook or do something as basic as -wash my hands is much more challenging. Between the unpredictability of the waves here in the pacific and the constantly changing wind angle, you really do need three limbs dedicated to holding on at all times.

A calmer moment of cooking

We all had a touch of seasickness in the first few days but I think we escaped the worst of it thanks to the scopolamine patches. Though the dry mouth side effect they give you is no joke.

We had some fair winds for the first couple days, but things died down today and thus we eventually got the spinnaker out (after trying a few other options first with a few curses) and are managing to crawl along forward at a reduced pace (4-5 knots if we’re lucky).

The spinnaker in all her glory

Though our pace is still fast enough for the sea birds to want to catch a ride (and cover our deck with bird droppings) while they hang out.

Some type of booby, but doesn't have red or blue feet, so...?

If our path looks a bit wonky, for those of you tracking us, know that there is a tiny bit of method to the madness between trying to avoid windless areas (amidst changing forecasts) and making do with feasible wind angles and managing the ocean swells.

Seeing dolphins regularly keeps our spirits up despite the lack of sleep. One even did a torpedo style jump in front of the boat yesterday.

I'm usually too distracted watching the dolphins to get a photo

ChatGPT also gave us a much needed pep talk to boost morale.

We got our first flying fish on the deck last night as well.

The only casualties we’ve had so far are a pair of Chelsea’s sunglasses to the ocean, 3 moldy oranges, and the last 4 inches of the handle of a wooden spoon which was needed more urgently elsewhere for boat improvements.

All in all, the only pirates we’ve seen were these fine folks at the fuel dock in Cabo.

Arrr, Matey

In the meantime, I hope all you folks on land are truly appreciating the magic of making coffee on a flat, immovable surface.

Thank goodness for gimbaled stoves

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