So the respite promised for yesterday was short lived and we paid for it with a boisterous night back into the short steep swells that slam the port side. The coach roof is so salted on that side that it looks as though it has been iced like a cake.

Today has continued in the same vein with 22-23 knot winds and the unremitting Southern swell. The great thing about today though is that we passed the halfway mark to Rodriguez, that’s seven and a half days since leaving Cocos.

Sailing guru Jimmy Cornell in his book World Cruising Routes says of this Indian Ocean crossing: “This long haul across the width of the southern Indian Ocean has the full benefit of the south east trade winds during the southern winter months from May to October. These winds often blow at 20 to 25 knots for days on end and sometimes reach gale force. The pleasure of a fast passage is often marred by an uncomfortable cross swell which rolls in relentlessly from the Southern Ocean. The weather is generally rougher in the proximity of Cocos Keeling and both winds and seas usually moderate after the half way mark to Mauritius has been passed.”

So far then our crossing is text book stuff and we will certainly be disappointed if wind and seas don’t moderate after the half way mark to Mauritius. But that is still some way off, Mauritius is some 350 miles further on after Rodriguez.

The tuna we caught a few days ago has well gone, we had 2 more bites on the line but they both threw the hook whilst winding in. So its omelettes for supper this evening and a bigger hook on the favoured lure which has plenty of teeth marks. Perhaps we'll do better tomorrow.