Position           05:25.22S 103:19.15W

Date                1200 (Central American Time) Friday 7 March 2014

Distance run - 160nm over the ground, 136nm through the water

                        Distance (OG) covered from start 844nm

                        Distance to destination 2138nm

                        Original distance to Marquesas (straight line) 2962nm

This was a frustrating 24 hours with the wind fading in and out and changing direction mainly associated with rain clouds or squalls.  The squalls such as they were seemed to bring about an absence of wind as they passed through.  This is reflected in the days run figures. We flew the gennaker but took it down in the face of an oncoming squall just before dusk fell.  This may have been the wrong call as the overnight condition would have benefited from the lighter sail.  Hoisting the gennaker in the dark however is difficult as experience on the ARC in 2010 dictates that you can see the top of the mast and the pulleys to ensure that the gennaker halliard does not foul the genoa furler and wreak havoc aloft.

Dawn brought a crop of a dozen or so squid on the deck.  They must be capable of jumping out of the water a quite a rate to get to some of the places where they were found.

Towards midday the wind faded almost to nothing and it looks as though tomorrow may see some motoring.  Listening on the SSB net to other boats ahead of us it does appear that we are faced with an area of non-existent of confused winds and rain.