Another landmark day

The landmark days are coming thick and fast at the moment and today I crossed the Anti meridian for the second time only in my sailing career. I was primed to mark the occasion glancing occasionally at the GPS reading 179, but once again was engrossed in some other work and completely failed to watch that moment flash by.

It is great to be in the Pacific and at the moment the weather is being kind with a moderate breeze and the third day in a row of bright warm sunshine. This is giving me some breathing space to work on the boat and get us both back in shape for the next big shake up. I even managed to change into my half way thermals today, my water tank is full and if the sun is shining tomorrow I am definitely going to treat myself to a shower in the cockpit.

The moon is bright at night, the sky is cloudless and I reflected the other evening it's the first time I have really seen the stars for quite a few weeks. It's a great sight but it is bitterly cold on deck, my hands don't last long when managing ropes under the constant torrent of icy water. Tonight I am going to have to dig deep to get myself into action in the cold. I think there will be a sail change at some point in the middle of the night, and I will need to force myself up on deck to do it.

I am trying not to think too far ahead, but it is hard not to get fixated on Cape Horn. There is a lot of ocean and a lot of weather between me and that Cape and I keep looking at the narrow gap between the ice limit and the bottom of the continent and wondering what we will meet when we go through. The end of the Southern Ocean seems tangibly close but I won't fall into that trap. I need to take one day at a time - the Pacific Ocean has only just begun.