Update 3

S/V Galatea update
Neil Scott
Tue 7 Feb 2017 11:14
Tues Morning
We are now 800 miles from St Helena, just over half way. Conditions are great, we motored most of Sunday as the wind was light, but since 6pm Sun we have been sailing downwind wing-on-wing at 6-7 Knots in a 12-18 knot SE. 
We used the windvane on Fri and Sat when the wind was stronger and the batteries flatter but are now back on autopilot, being kept alert by the beeps warninf us of small wind shifts.

Since the first night we have seen only two coastal freighters, a few storm petrals, and a turtle swimming sideways with one flipper, So there's not much out here except unbelievably blue water and lots of stars including a few shooting ones at night.

Boatwise, Neil found another problem to fix - a constant bugbear - the water pump. The pump has been overworking so yesterday Neil changed the filter hoping this was the problem source. However it then wouldn't pump afterwards. No real panic as there is plenty of milk and wine on board and of course a hand pump. After spending the day playing plumber with his head down under the floorboards on his knees, replumbing the water lines, Neil thought he had it sorted. But the taps are still spluttering so he is back on his knees again today.

The food has been good especially the  pies from The Sweet Thing, although last night we thought they had slipped a special ingredient  Kev's pie as he started seeing mysterious lights while on watch at 2:30 am, Neil and I got up to look but they had disappeared and there was nothing on the AIS. However he wasn't hallucinating as a small freighter came steaming towards us at 17 knots more than an hour later.

Chris, Neil and Kevin

- S/V Galatea
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