Finally managed to break out of Malta although weather was still not helpful or according to forecast.

As a result we ended up heading due north to Sicily whilst awaiting either the drop in the force

of the N Westerlies or indeed the wind veering into the east. We were approaching the coast and eyeing

up a potential anchorage when the wind finally obeyed the forecast and we cruised up the coast

a few miles off through the night. Today we have picked up a light but freshening N Easterly which is

allowing us to motorsail towards Sardinia where we hope to get in before the next NW gale hits. This will

also allow us to investigate an irritating fault on our main plotter which has lost its screen although it

is still feeding the GPS position through to our nav computer. At our current speed we should

arrive at our intended anchorage at 9am on the 19th....