00.40N 87.36W Evening of the 21^st February and what a heartening 24 hours we have had!  It was Stern (among others) who wrote that you can never appreciate the highs without experiencing the lows…. and you become grateful for small mercies at sea! 

As night fell last night the moon rose behind us, the colour of golden egg yolk, and the light was quite spectacular when suddenly and completely unexpectedly we watched an eclipse! It was a ‘perfect’ night in which we managed to sail serenely through the calm waters.

Today had a character all of its own – sunny and bright for the first time, very little  wind, still a current against us and then as the breeze died again and again the sails  collapsed and we would naturally go around in an entire circle before setting off again!  Not a sailor’s dream, I admit, but amusing if you don’t profess to be a sailor and with the ipod on random (and consistently throwing out all our favourites in succession), the bedding dry, a good chat on the radio net and a chicken curry in the pot I felt very privileged!  And then to crown it all – a sunset to rival all sunsets – and we have seen a few - but this was truly amazing with the colours and contours of a Salvador Dali painting.

So! Are we any nearer to our destination? Not much! But we are in great spirits and with about 180 miles to go who knows – we might even get there before the diesel runs out!!