Last night was overcast.  There were absolutely no stars to steer by and only the faintest glimpse of the moon now and again. Our course was 060° or NE by E. We started the night at 4 knots, then the wind dropped to almost nil, until we were flopping around at 1.5 to 2 knots.

Sail Data

• time:  2012-10-20 16:33 UTC/GMT (06:33 HST Oct 20)
• position: 30 degrees 25.2 minutes S 154 degrees 20.9 minutes W [Miles from Tahiti: 937 = 814 nautical miles].
• course: 060 degrees True, currently
• speed: 4.0 knots
• weather: currently clearing, 40 percent scattered cloud cover with some high cirrus and low cumulous clouds on the horizon
• wind: SW 3-8 knots and slowly increasing
• sea state: SW swell 8-10 feet, NW swell is 2-4 feet, and a wind chop of 1 feet and building
• vessel and crew condition:  all ok (Faafaite also)

Education Data

• Celestial Observations, Navigation Stars, Planets and Moon Phases:   During the 6 pm to 10 pm watch, we were able to steer mainly with the sails. The rig was balanced very nicely after we shook the reefs out of the main and mizzen sails and replaced the working jib with the genoa.  There were absolutely no stars to steer by and only the faintest glimpse of the moon now and again. During the 10 pm to 2 am, and the 2 am to 6 am watch, we also had stars to steer by, and very little to no wind.
• Animal Life: None noted.
• Sea Birds and Sea Life: None observed.
• Marine Debris: None observed overnight.

Hikianalia is still making good progress due to stronger than expected winds.  Backing winds (meaning “moving counterclockwise around the compass”) have allowed us to adjust our course about twenty degrees more northerly.  Forecasted wind shifts over the next several days look promising for our run up through the Australs to Tahiti – we hope they are accurate!  Both canoes are doing well and the crews are learning a lot in addition to enjoying the voyage.  We especially enjoyed a gorgeous sunset tonight, complete with green flash, with Faafaite silhouetted perfectly on the blazing orange Sun.

Sail Data

• time:  2012-10-20 04:00 UTC/GMT (18:00 HST Oct 19)
• position: 30 degrees 44.2 minutes S 154 degrees 52.7 minutes W
• course: 055 degrees True (backing winds from NNW to NW are allowing us to pinch a little more northward, as we had hoped)
• speed: 5 knots
• weather: overcast, light rain
• wind: backing to NW, 10 to 15 knots, comes and goes
• sea state: NW swells 6 to 8 feet, SE swells 6 to 8 feet, NE swells 2 to 4 feet, wind chop N and NW
• vessel and crew condition:  all ok (Faafaite also)

Education Data

• Celestial Observations, Navigation Stars, Planets and Moon Phases:   Sun only.  Today, we again steered principally by the wind and swells.
• Animal Life: None observed today.
• Sea Birds and Sea Life: Few today.
• Marine Debris: None seen today.

Moving along well.  We are entering phase two of the voyage; we will start heading north toward the Australs (Tubuai Islands).

Sail Data

• time: 2012-10-19 05:50 UTC/GMT (05:50 HST Oct 19)
• position: 31 degrees 12.6 minutes S 156 degrees 03.3 minutes W
• course: 070 degrees True through the night
• speed: Average 7.5 knots
• weather: clear half of the night,10 –2 watch, clouded with passing
• cumulus clouds, air dry and cool
• wind: NW 15 to 25 knots
• sea state: SW swell diminished to 6-8 feet, NW swell is also 6-8 feet, and more of a northerly wind chop
• vessel and crew condition: all ok (Faafaite also)

Education Data

• Celestial Observations, Navigation Stars, Planets and Moon Phases:

Our heading for much of the night was Aina Koolau.  The 6 to 10 watch steered toward the east almost exclusively while facing back towards the west.  Most of our steering was done using the setting Moon and Lehuakona (Antares) in Kamakaunuiamaui (Scorpio).  When clouds obscured that part of the sky, we looked over the starboard beam and steered by Kealiiokonaikalewa (Canopus).

We also used the kū moon (see Hawaiian Lunar Month), which was shining bright for the beginning part of the night in the constellation Scorpio.  At times, clouds covered the moon, but the glow could still be seen on the water.

Click on Star Chart to Enlarge. (Sky Image from SkyGazer 4.5, Carina Software)

Orion was once again used as it rose for much of the 10pm-2am watch.

Patchy clouds kept covering our steering stars during the 2 am to 6 am watch, so we alternated between using Kamaile Mua and Kamaile Hope to the south, Venus to the east, and Aries to the north.

• Animal Life: None noted.
• Sea Birds and Sea Life: An albatross greeted the bow of the canoe at sunrise. Marine Debris: None observed overnight.

Click on the map to enlarge it. The farther east Hikianalia and Faafaite go, the better the point of sail in the southeast trade winds they will encounter after turning north toward Tahiti. (Click here for an explanation of point of sail.)

Hikianalia is making good progress due to stronger than expected winds.  We are again running parallel to the reference course, about 57 nautical miles south of that line.  We hope to reach our next phase line, 155 degrees West, tomorrow, where we will decide whether to turn north for Tubuai and Tahiti or continue eastward.  We will have to turn north at some point and face the possibility of lighter or contrary winds – the question is “when”?

Sail Data

• time:: 2012-10-19 04:00 UTC/GMT (18:00 HST Oct 18)
• position:  31 degrees 37.0 minutes S 157 degrees 31.4 minutes W
• course: 075 degrees True (favorable wind shift has allowed us to parallel our reference course)
• speed: 7.5 knots
• weather: mostly clear, dry, cold, will be clear tonight for stars, local cumulus
• wind: NW 10 to 15 knots
• sea state: SW swells 10 feet (diminishing), NW swells 6 to 8 feet (building)
• vessel and crew condition: all ok (Faafaite also)

Education Data

Determining the direction of ocean swells from celestial bodies allows the navigator to hold a course even when celestial bodies are not visible during the day. (See “Holding a Course“.)

• Celestial Observations, Navigation Stars, Planets and Moon Phases: sun only.  Today, we again steered principally by the wind and swells.
• Animal Life: None observed today.
• Sea Birds and Sea Life: Albatross, the piebald shearwater-like bird and other hunting seabirds continue to fish near the canoe.
• Marine Debris: None seen today.

Bruce was telling a story about dolphins he had seen on a different voyage.  Right after that and just as we were about to break into the 159° Longitude from the 160’s, a pod of dolphins appeared alongside the canoe.  A nice welcoming hō‘ailona (sign) …

Sail Data

• time: 2012-10-18 16:05 UTC/GMT (06:05 HST Oct 18)
• position: 31 degrees 59.4 minutes S 159 degrees 26.3 minutes W
• course: 075 degrees True through the night
• speed: 7.0 knots
• weather: air dry and cold, beautiful
• wind: NW 10 to 15 knots
• sea state: SW swell down a bit to 10-15 feet, and a NW swell at 3-4 feet
• vessel and crew condition: all ok (Faafaite also)

Education Data

• Celestial Observations, Navigation Stars, Planets and Moon Phases:

The 6 to 10 watch steered by the setting Moon, Lehuakona (Antares) in Kamakaunuiamaui (Scorpio) and Kealiiokonaikalewa (Canopus).

From the 10 to 2 watch, most of our steering for the first few hours of the watch was done while facing back towards the west.  Our heading for the night was near the border of La/Aina Koolau.  We used the star Kaus Australis within the constellation Sagittarius keeping it down the middle of our canoe.  After a while, Bruce had us use the star Nunki, also in Sagittarius, keeping it in the middle, as the constellation began to set.  We then used the southern cross, (which we can no longer see the full constellation upside down anymore as we are heading more north) keeping it just to the aft of our beam for the rest of the watch. Orion was also in a perfect position at this time to steer by.

From 2 am to about 5 am, the sky steadily filled with clouds, opening up again just before sunrise.  We used Puana, then Regulus, and then Venus to the East, Kamaile Mua and Kamaile Hope to the South, Jupiter to the North, and K   hut to the West. The sun rose beautifully at the end of our watch, providing us with a clear mark as Venus began to fade.

• Sea Birds and Sea Life:  At the end of the 10pm-2am watch, Bruce was telling a story about dolphins he had seen on a different voyage.  Right after that and just as we were about to break into the 159° Longitude from the 160’s, a pod of dolphins appeared alongside the canoe.  A nice welcoming hoailona. At the end of the 2 to 6 watch, a black seabird – perhaps a shearwater – crossed our bow, headed toward the sunrise.
• Marine Debris: None observed overnight.

Steering was stellar all night, by all watches. The 2 am to 6 am watch was very clear, with the Milky Way and Magellanic clouds clearly visible.

Magellanic clouds are bright patches appearing in the sky in the southern hemisphere. They are two irregular dwarf galaxies. (Image and text from Wikipedia.)

Sail Data

• time: 2012-10-17 16:00 UTC/GMT (06:00 HST Oct 17)
• position: 32 degrees 12.5 minutes S 161 degrees 56.0 minutes W
• course: 090 degrees True through the night
• speed: 4.0 knots
• weather: air dry and cool
• wind: SW 5 to 10 knots
• sea state: swells from the SW built slowly to 15-20 feet
• vessel and crew condition: all ok (Faafaite also)

Education Data:

• Celestial Observations, Navigation Stars, Planets and Moon Phases:

Last night was the best opportunity to steer by the stars that the 6 to 10 pm watch has had on this voyage.  We have had mostly cloudy evenings, but last night was open and clear, especially behind us to Komohana (the west).  To our southwest were Kamakaunuiamaui (Scorpius), which currently surrounds the transient planet Mars, and Pimoe (Sagittarius).  To our northwest was the Navigator’s Triangle of Piraetea (Deneb), Keoe (Vega) and Humu (Altair).  We had so many stars to steer by, any course errors were clearly our own fault!  The Hilo moon was the merest possible sliver, but the dark side of the moon was clearly visible.  We had several long lasting, strong, bright shooting stars.  Kaleo Wong pointed out Corona Australis to us.

For the 10 pm to 2 am watch, our heading for the night was due east towards Hikina.  Canopus was on our port side to the south, and we used it off of one of our benches again.  Orion was used putting the belt on the side of the mast.  As clouds passed through, the glow of Jupiter on the water was extremely bright, so we used that for a while as well.

Finally the north pointers Sheratan and Metallah were kept on our beam when they stood upright indicating north.

“Sheratan and Metallah lined up above due north.” Sheratan is the second bright star from the top, above due north; Metallah is the relatively bright star below it, between Sharatan and the horizon. The brightest star in the graphic, just to the east (right) of north is Almach. (See Meridian Pointers to North)

The 2 am to 6 am watch started very clear, with the Milky Way and Magellanic clouds clearly visible. We kept the due east heading, with A‘a (Sirius) directly to the starboard of the mast.  After less than an hour, the clouds came in and swallowed the sky.

• Animal Life: Nothing sighted overnight.
• Sea Birds and Sea Life: None noted.
• Marine Debris: None observed overnight.
• Progress Report: The crew did really well.