As we go at the moment, we're about 17 days out from Amukta, but I think that may improve. We're motoring at rather slow, walk the dog pace generally along 020M. Wind about 3-4 kts very slowly veering and I expect that it will eventually become a westerly with a bit of grunt at the base of the line of depressions moving along north of about 40 degrees. We're just making our way around the back of the N Pacific high - a clockwise system with a hole in the middle (us right now!) and, once past it we should get going again. Very hot, the sea surface has tiny wind ripples and the remains of a very big and rather confused swell pattern that is slowly settling. Two rather tatty black seabirds following us all night - elusive shadows in the moonlight - and they are out there now, way in the distance. I must one day get the book to identify them - have tried several times but never found the 'seabirds of all the oceans' version.
Last night was beyond amazing - clear sky, the earth's disc, from the cockpit, black with lozenged, wavering, snaky patches of grey to occasional silver as they caught the moonlight. Hard edge to the horizon down moon, darker silvery slightly milky sky, first and second mag stars only but brilliant pinpoints through the usual slight haze. Up moon, sky luminous grey, brighter towards the moon itself. Masthead light tracing a swirling ribbon across the universe - its gyrations perhaps stroking other life forms way in the future as we look back way into the past. Berri's version of a wormhole.
The flash - was wondering if perhaps it may be the anniversary of an atmospheric test back there on the bomb range and, just to remind us humans about what we have done and continue to do to each other and to the planet, Gaia arranges a little anniversary display. A sigh of anger and despair, of resignation, of sheer disbelief that we continue to do as we do.
