May 20

It is now 3am and we are drifting in 5k of wind from the East. We had shut the engine down at sunset last night and sailed close hauled in 8-10k of wind until about 30 minutes ago. The wind, which kept shifting more and more East and then North now is back to due East and we are going to try motoring some more as long as we still have fuel. Sitting around bobbing sucks.

At 7am we have 270nm remaining to reach Noumea. We are motoring at about 4k on a heading of 43M which is about 10 degrees North of our intended track. We have a wonderful 1k current working against us and a 4k headwind. What can the day bring? One weather report calls for light wind from the ENE. We have wind from due East now. Another is vague but says NE or SE. Hmmm. The GPS says that at 4k we will need 66hours to reach Noumea. My estimate now is that we have about 75 gallons, which would give us about 9 gallons more then we need, at the current 1gph consumption rate. That's the key. If we can't maintain the 4k speed with this engine throttle setting we won't make it.

It is now 11am and we are motoring on a heading of 54M - direct for Noumea - at about 4.0 - 4.5k in a True wind of about 5k from the East. We have 250nm remaining to reach Noumea and at this speed the GPS computer predicts another 60 hours.

At about 2pm the wind came in steady from the SE at 6k and we unrolled the genoa again. The anti-current seems to have faded here and we are making a good 5 - 5.5k over ground. We have 235nm remaining to Noumea.