This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Sailors often fantasize about sailing the South Seas and visiting a tropical paradise. What they see in their mind's eye are the Marquesas islands. Since our landfall, we've spent the past few weeks exploring the Marquesan islands of Nuku Hiva and Tahuata. It is a magical place.

Our passage across the Pacific concluded last Friday, April 12th at dawn when we dropped anchor at 1630Z in Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia. We sailed over 3,000 nautical miles in 16 days, 23 hours, and 40 minutes.

Some days are more eventful than others. Today, we witnessed a total eclipse of the sun and crossed the equator on a small boat.

At 11:55 PM Mexico Time on Wednesday, April 4th, we crossed the halfway mark between Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and Hiva Oa, Marquesas, French Polynesia. We've covered 1,371 miles as the crow flies, at an average speed of 6.7 knots. More than that when you consider the twists and turns we took to take advantage of or avoid weather.

We are currently 40 nautical miles south of Cabo Corrientes on a fast reach with six foot swells and wind a bit over twenty knots.

There is nothing like a deadline to make things happen. The crew is here and we are grinding through final preparation. This morning we received our departure clearance from the local port captain and set our departure date for Tuesday, March 26th.

We enjoyed a successful shakedown sail with our Pacific crossing crew. They took time out of their lives to fly down and go for a three-day sail to test Roam and her new systems. The trip also gave us a chance to test ourselves and see what we might want to add or change to make for a more comfortable and enjoyable trip across the Pacific.

The kids flew down to visit for Thanksgiving. It was their first time in Mexico and their first time aboard Roam.

Boats are in a constant state of deterioration. We spent the summer on various boat projects to get Roam ready for her South Pacific adventure.

With a nod to the late great singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Every morning, I wake up and check www.eebmike.com and look at the tropical storm prediction and forecast maps. Most days,…