HI to MX Day 33

We're in the home stretch now, less then 200 miles to go. We've had some great wind the last couple days so we should arrive a little ahead of our last estimate. Last night the waves got pretty bumpy for a few hours which made sleeping difficult, but it calmed down this morning so we're getting caught up on rest now. We've really been lucky as far as getting good rest the entire last half of this passage. We're both getting enough sleep that we could easily walk off the boat on arriving in Manzanillo and go for a day in town without collapsing from exhaustion. Normally we're able to do a few things but would be looking forward to getting to bed before 9pm on the arrival day.

We've been able to fly our (asymmetrical spinnaker) quite a bit over the last three days, which has been keeping the boat moving well. The only down side is we have to run the auto pilot when we're sailing under the spinnaker as the wind vane wanders too much, so we use more electricity. We really haven't flown this sail much since we got it 6 years ago, it's normal use is as a big pillow when we're sleeping in the quarter berth on passage, but this passage I've been happy to have it as a sail instead.

The other day I was running the generator to charge the batteries and the battery charger started acting up. I took it apart and found that a teaspoon or so of salt water had gotten into it when that hose broke. The water corroded a resistor so badly the solder connection to the printed circuit board completely disappeared. So now we don't have a battery charger until I can find an electrical parts supplier and replace the resistor. Good thing I got the alternator/regulator working!

Still no fish, and the water clarity continues to decline. I'm keeping the lures out just in case. We still have one onion, half a carrot, 1/4 of a cabbage (we really haven't been going through the cabbage on this passage) and a pound of ground beef so we're not hurting for fresh food. (We also have canned and dry goods for another 2-3 months, just in cast anyone is worried that we have to live on hale a carrot and a pound of ground beef for the next two days).

We've had to turn off the VHF radio so the off watch can sleep. Mexican fisherman just love to talk on the radio, even if there's no one to talk to. When they get tired of talking they sing, when they get tired of singing they do barn yard animal impersonations. It's pretty annoying. We're keeping a hand-held VHF radio on down below so if there's anyone close by calling us we'll hear them.

The wind is supposed to die tonight, so we'll no doubt be motoring the last 100 miles (we have fuel for 200 miles motoring, so we're in good shape there).

{GMST}19|55|N|106|59|W|Hawaii to Mexico Day 33|Day 33{GEND}