Position 16:39.9N 043:48.3W

Mariposa Blanca Move
Skip- Andy Petty. Owner hard at work in office!
Sat 2 Feb 2013 19:31
Saturday 2nd Feb 2013
Log 4447nm
Noon to noon 98nm (nearly as bad as yesterday).
GPS to BVI 1194nm

England beat Scotland again and Ireland beat Wales - thnaks to Kyrah and Jan for these results.

Mike received a messge of congratulations from Peter the owner, to note the fish is the first ever successfully landed on the good ship Mariposa Blanca. Adrian is mildly cheesed off because it was him who actually caught it but nevertheless, the sentiments are appreciated. I gather the fish tasted very nice anyway but as a non fish enjoyer, I had ham and cheese last night.

Tonight Mike has promised chicken curry from a can as the fresh stuff really has finished now.

Overnight and daily progress has been painfully slow in zero wind as predicted as we expect this to last for another 24 or 30 hours but thereafter, the GRIB promises good easterlies for a week which should speed us towards our destination.

We are motor sailing at 1200 rpm which ekes out the fuel and helps provide some relative breeze to help cool us, if not actually sail. Today dawnwed bright and sunny and has been warm enough to encourage the engine to be stopped for a period and a "hands to bathe" call made. With the water temperature now showing as 29 degrees, all 3 of us enjoyed a brief but cooling swim in some 4000m of Atlantic water. Of course 1 of us was aboard at all times on shark watch and armed with a home made pea shooter in case the relatives of last night's supper came to visit- they did not fortunately.

The day has enabled Andy to catch up on paperwork and some routine cleaning tasks to be undertaken with more ease than we are used to.

Signalling ahead by email, we have learned from our good friend Tony that whilst restaurants in the BVI may be either "iffy" or costly, at least cigs and booze are cheap and so our anticipation of the first painkillers on arrival starts to build.

Regret we failed to catch and drown the gremlin- in fact there have been no positive sightings of him today and all systems are functioning well. We are still on the first of 2 fresh water tanks as Ade, (the mean water monitor) continues to force us to bathe in raw salt water but fortunately Mike brought some baby shampoo which actually lathers up quite well in sea water.

Ade says his target of weight loss is approaching and this pleases him and he has got over his dismay at being sacked yesterday.

Gas may become a rare commodity onaboard before we arrive and there has been much disucssin on how to manage this situation, interspersed with varying ideas of how to solve the UK problems. MIke wants to bring back conscription, Andy wants boot camps and Sde simpley prefers to ship those who choose not to want to contribute to a remote island and let them fend for themselves. I thik this idea is reinventing the wheel however!

Well no more news from here, so it's good night from him, and good night from them. See you all tomorrow.

The Mariposa Blanca delivery team