Position                    01:22.54 S 021:37.63 W

Date                          2359 (UTC) Thursday 23 February 2017

Distance run             in 24hrs 130nm over the ground, 128nm through the water

Passage total            599nm over the ground, 556nm through the water

Distance to go          3,020nm

Planned distance      Ascension to the Azores west around the high 3,666nm

Today is Elizabeth's birthday.  She has not had much luck with birthday locations of recent years.  Last year we were on passage from Langkawi to the Maldives.  Each year seems to bring a longer passage.  I hope that next year the passage will be shorter,  land based and only as far as a good restaurant.  In answer to the question from a member of the family who will remain nameless, "what are you doing on your birthday?".  The answer is that we are going sailing.

From the sailing point of view we have run out of useable wind and rather than drfit on at 3 knots we are using diesel to motor to north of the equator where we hope to find wind.  At midnight we were 82nm south of the equator but as we are sailing approximately north west, due to pythagoras and the square on the hippopotamus, it will not be until Friday afternoon that we cross the line.

The special birthday dinner, prepared by the birthday girl and eaten in shifts, as is our routine, was a kedgeree created using kippers from Cape Town.  The birthday tipple - fizzy Orangina.  The real bubbles we will save for the Azores.