Position           09:36.60S 132:13.97W

Date                1200 (Central American Time) Monday 17 March 2014

Distance run - 160nm over the ground, 163nm through the water

                        Distance (OG) covered from start 2,573nm

                        Distance to destination 400nm

                        Original distance to Marquesas (straight line) 2,962nm

And there let us wallow

In glorious mud.

(The Hippopotamus Song, with acknowledgement to Flanders and Swan)

And what you may ask has this got to do with crossing the Pacific Ocean?

1.      A previously undiscovered wild life treasure from the Galapagos?

2.      Proof that South America was at one time joined to Africa?

3.      A comment on the fact that Sunday was Mothering Sunday in the UK and 50% of cards, for some unaccountable reason, seem to feature either an elephant or hippo?

4.      We have been doing a bit of wallowing for the last 24 hours?

5.      I have run out of ideas for the blog

Correct answer is 4 with a bit of 5, or vice versa.

With the pole up at midday yesterday we have been running under genoa and mizzen with occasionally as the wind veered the main.  This has given us a steady 6.5 knots with a good amount of control for the occasional gusts of up to 25 knots.  It does lead to a feeling of wallowing (the link in today’s sermon theme) as we roll our way happily westward.  Other boats are going faster but what the heck, we are cruising!