We’re finally sailing again — properly sailing — and what a relief. After the chaotic stillness and squall-dodging of the past week, Sunny Spells is back in her element, humming along with 10 to 14 knots over the beam and a big blue swell behind us. The trades have returned. The days from 28 April to now have been, in a word, restorative.

It’s that glorious stretch of ocean where the wind is just enough — not too much, not too little — and the boat settles into its stride. We’ve been mostly on a beam reach or broad reach, full main and big genoa, averaging 6.5 to 7 knots with barely a hand laid on a winch. The autopilot is content, the sails are happy, and so are we.

We’ve passed a few waypoints that felt more symbolic than geographic — halfway from Galápagos to the Marquesas, 1,000 miles to go, 750… They’re just numbers, but they change the mood. The South Pacific feels real now, not just an idea on a chart.

With good sailing comes better living. We’ve been sleeping deeper, eating better, and catching up on all the small tasks that pile up when you’re too exhausted to care. A few more firmware tweaks to the displays, some overdue cleaning. Amazing what you feel like doing when you’re not battling squalls or running on 3 hours of sleep.

The sea is calmer now too — long, slow swells and the occasional splat from a flying fish. We’ve had a few bird visitors again, though not as bold as the Galápagos gang. Just a noddy or two doing fly-bys at dusk, silhouetted against soft pink skies.

The miles are slipping by now. Most days we’re making between 155 and 165 miles, helped along by the South Equatorial Current which has been kind and steady. We haven’t seen another boat in days, but AIS has picked up a freighter or two far off on the horizon. Mostly, though, it’s just us and the endless roll of the Pacific.

We’ve both commented that this is the kind of sailing we dreamt about — peaceful, purposeful, and quietly exhilarating. It won’t last forever, of course, but for now Sunny Spells is doing what she does best, and we’re just hanging on for the ride.