Position                    08:58.27 S 072:22.72 E

Date                             1200 (UTC+5) Sunday 08 May 2016

Distance run             in 24hrs 138nm over the ground, 134nm through the water

Trip total                  263nm over the ground, 257nm through the water

To go to                    Port Maturin, Rodrigues rhumb line 826nm

Route distance         1,144nm as originally planned

The 24 hours started with us motoring more or less into the wind and swell as we weathered a number of rain storms some with squally wind rising to 30 knots; this is not good for progress but we do not want to go too far east as that is away from our destination and going west with the wind in the south and south south east is also not possible.  The GRIB forecast files indicated that the wind could go round to the east during the late afternoon and it did, but only as a tease as having set up everything for a port tack it all had to go back on starboard.  We passed Diego Garcia with its |US Base and prohibited area, 40nm to our west, at 1800 and that was the last physical obstacle to be cleared.  The light loom was clearly visible later at over 50nm so no shortage of power there.  Further rain and squalls followed up to midnight which disrupted the Skippers sleep and kept the Mate on her toes as we shortened sail to cope with suddenly rising winds.  Eventually the wind did go round to the South East and settle down to 12-14 knots which meant the motor could go off just after 0100 and we were able to move our waypoint further west until at 0600, and for the time being we were heading directly for Rodriguez on a fast reach.  There followed a great mornings sail in glorious sunshine with no squalls until 1130 when the wind headed us slightly and went light so motor assistance required to keep us moving in the swell; a benefit in carrying the extra 200 litres in cans to Chagos.

Menu notes; from the freezer, night 1 lamb tagine with couscous and night 2 chicken and vegetable curry.

The Mate provided this photograph of her succeful cultivation of mung bean sprouts

which are providing a useful addition to our fresh vegetables that she has carefully, preserved since Gan