Wednesday, June 30, 1999 (8:30 a.m.)
Actual Position (From GPS unit on board escort boat).
TODAY'S REPORT
June 29 (sunset/6 :00 p.m.): 04 degrees 31.33 minutes N ; 142 degrees 05.17 minutes W
June 30 (sunrise / 5:40 p.m.) 03 degrees 55.65 minutes N; 142 degrees 16.32 minutes W
June 30 (afternoon / 3:30 p.m.) 03 degrees 23.57 minutes N; 142 degrees 18.28 minutes W
YESTERDAY'S REPORT
June 28 (sunset): 05 degrees 15.90 minutes N ; 142 degrees 00.70 minutes W
June 29 (sunrise) 05 degrees 04.25 minutes N; 141 degrees 57.79 minutes W
Radio Report from Pi'ikea Miller, Apprentice Navigator on "Hokule'a."
Day at Sea: 15
Hokule'a seems to have broken out of the doldrums as of last night. The last big squall came through in the early evening. This morning the sky was 90% covered with alto stratus clouds, but the cloud layer seemed to be burning off with the rising sun, and clear skies and cumulus clouds could be seen in the direction of the weather. Winds were coming out of 'Aina-Noio Malanai (ESE - SE by E) at 15 knots, suggesting the canoe was entering the Southeast Trade Wind Belt. The current heading is Haka Malanai (S by E) at 4 knots. According to radio operator Hauoli Smith, Hokule'a is "like a racehorse heading for the barn," on the third and last segment of the voyage to Nukuhiva. The crew is drying out from all the rain over the last few days.
The SE tradewind swell is dominant now.
Position (Navigator's Estimate):
June 29, Sunset: 01 degrees 10 minutes N; 6 mi. E of reference line
June 30, Sunrise: 00 degrees 54 minutes N; 4 mi. E of reference line
Strategy and Heading (with current set): Hokule'a is on the third and final segment of the voyage to Nukuhiva. The course line is haka malanai (S by E). The navigators intend to hold this course down to Nukuhiva about 700 miles away...at 4-5 knots it should take them about a week to get to the latitudes of the Marquesas, where they will search for the islands using land-based seabirds as their guides.
Navigation
Daytime navigation: sunrise and sunset (ENE/WNW); swell from the SE.
Nightime navigation: cloudy night; Mahealani (Full Moon, 16-day old) rising after sunset. Also, Hokuloa (Venus) setting before midnight and Hoku'ula (Mars) setting after midnight; the navigator's triangle (Keoe/Vega, Humu/Altair, Pira'etea/Deneb) rising in the early evening; Ikaika (Jupiter) rising after midnight.
Latitude: No latitude stars. Dead reckoning. The navigators estimate they traveled around another two degree south (120 miles) since yesterday.
How Non-Instrument Navigation is Done Sun's Position on the Ecliptic Moon Phases (June 1999-January 2000) Rising Points of 21 Brightest Stars Latitude Stars
Fishing report: No strikes.
Sea Life: Shearwaters and petrels--birds of the open ocean. One large lone whale spotted in the distance, too far away to identify the kind of whale.
