Position           03:11.05 S 072:32.70 E

Date                 1200 (UTC+5) Tuesday 19 April 2016

Distance run    in 24hrs 133nm over the ground, 140nm through the water

Trip total         158nm over the ground, 167nm through the water

To go to           Peros Banhos, Chagos 132nm – 291nm total route distance

The squalls and rain recorded in yesterday’s entry eventually cleared just after 1500 and left us with a very sailable wind.  Our problem through the 24 hours was keeping the speed down so that we did not make too much progress.  The route plan had assumed light winds with the requirement to motor for chunks of it in order to arrive with good daylight.  Motoring slowly can be very difficult, with not too much sea running keeping the speed under 6 knots is a challenge and results in very low RPM for the engine which is not good for it.  So it was reefing in and out to try and maintain 5knots over the ground.  Added entertainment ws provided by the wind occasionally having 5 minute perambulations in both speed an direction before coming back to where it started.  Overall however a much better than expected 24 hours.

Dinner was pre-prepared from the freezer, an excellent Massaman Curry made with curry paste purchased from the Blue Rice in Kanbanachuri, Thailand and beef mince from Omak Butchers into Whangarei New Zealand; a real international job.

Sailing south in the early hours with a setting moon

(Not the best photograph but boat movement and low light do not help)