COG 285T

SOG 5+ kts

A beautiful day today. Bright, sunny, not too warm. Wind 12-15kts, gusts up to 20kts but given the speed of the boat , an apparent wind of only 14 or 15kts in the gusts. We put the pole up this morning to try and sail a more direct downwind course parallel with the rhumb line and stop heading so far to the west. Des says that any weather forecast for more than 2 days ahead is for the Easter bunnies and the fairies. We are “wing on wing” with the genoa poled out on the port side and mainsail to starboard - it’s beautiful passage making weather.

Our new watch routine seems to be working but now with an added twist. We have supper earlier at about 0630 with iPod golden oldies and then watch an episode of “The Good Wife”, an American legal drama. We have about 10 series to get through which should see us back to Blighty. I then turn in with Annie staying on watch until about midnight, maybe a bit later and then I take over on watch for the rest of the night. We both seem to be able to get enough sleep this way when combined with a morning couple of hours for me and an afternoon sleep/rest for Annie. It doesn’t leave any time for scrabble but as I was 5 - 1 down on the passage up to St Helena probably not a bad thing.

We are in touch with Jason on board Lora who is off the north coast of Brazil and struggling to get through the ITCZ (Doldrums). He doesn’t use his engine and is having to make frequent sail changes as the squalls come through. He is expecting some settled wind as he crosses the equator on Tuesday. In only a 30ft boat he makes remarkable passage times and we are full of admiration for him. We are also in touch with Dick and Laura on board Maia and it sounds like they have passed through the Doldrums with the aid of 51 hours of motoring. They have just a week to go until they reach the Caribbean.

Colin and Izzi have reached Barbados! That is the end of her circumnavigation for Izzi and she will be counting the seconds to be on board a flight back to Scotland! Colin plans to sail to Antigua where friends will join him for the passage back across the Atlantic and it is possible he will still be there when we arrive. Meanwhile Jon on Hecla of Uist is flying back to Blighty from Cape Town tomorrow for a month. This will renew his South African visa for a further three months.

We haven’t heard from Keith and Emily on EmilyLuna and whether their repair was successful. We certainly hope it was and that we will meet up again in Fernando de Noronha.