Feb. 13, 2000; 3 days

Source: Sam Low

Dawn reveals a dark slate gray ocean, confused swells, white caps and a complex sky-veined and roped with clouds of all descriptions.

It's as if mother nature had dug deep into her laundry bin to wash and hang out to dry every variety of cloud she owns. The canoe sails Naleo/Haka Ko'olau (one & two houses east of north) at 5 knots in a 10 to 15 knot wind from La Ko'olau (one house north of east). This morning the navigators estimate we are 40 miles to the west of our reference course at 7 degrees 16 minutes south lattitude.

We continue to deviate west of our ideal course due to the winds which are blowing from the north of east , forcing us to steer off to the west. "At some point we know we will have to make back the distance we have lost" says Shantell Ching, " but we want to continue moving north as efficiently as possible and to do that we are willing to deviate a little from our course line". During the day yesterday we went 43 miles and during the evening, in spite of many harassing squalls, we made good 37 additional miles toward Hawai'i.