Light winds for Marcy

Marcy has been out 15 days on this passage. It has been a slow trip, bedeviled by huge high pressure systems and light airs, and we still have 700 miles to go to Sitka. The past few days were very pleasant, enough wind to keep steerage way, small waves, and lots of marine life to keep us interested. Marcy sailed silently and we could hear sounds normally lost in the roar of wind and sea. We learned that small seabirds make a pleasing peep peep sound at night as they circle us. We heard fish splashing and could carry on conversations in a normal voice. Fishing was great. Meals could be eaten from plates set at the table, even the glasses never tipped. Right now, though, the wind is still light but vicious swell from the NW (beam on to us) has arrived. We cringe at the slamming of the rig, which bangs with each swell even with the boom prevented three different ways. The battens invert and revert with a loud crack. A cup of water cannot be set down, and yet we're still only making a couple of knots! So needless to say we hope either the wind comes up or the swell dies down soon. The weather grib files show wind close to us, but not close enough. The days are getting longer - this morning the sun rose at 4:37 and sunset will be 7:12. It's also chilly at night now, and the saloon stove was fired up this morning for the first time since chilly Chile.