Even on this heading of around 35T we are close hauled and when the sea is lumpy, which it seems to be overnight, we are banging into and off the waves. This makes it noisy and uncomfortable inside the boat. The anchor that I thought was securely stowed wasn’t and it rattled loudly every time the boat pitched or a wave washed over the bow. Olly and I     spent part of the morning lashing it into place but today it has worked loose again.

Last night we thought the weed looked a lot less so I changed the wind turbine on the Duogen to water mode, nearly losing the wind propellor in the process. It was very close - held by just two fingers as it dropped off the pole. In less time than it took me to get down to the chart table to monitor the charge rate the water turbine was completely enveloped in weed. Today things are better but there is still enough weed around to require frequent untangling of the turbine. 

Yesterday there was a distinct smell of diesel in the galley area. I checked the bilges and they were dry. It could have been coming from the engine after its service and indeed the fuel filter was weeping oil so I tightened it and hoped this would solve the issue. This morning there was diesel in the bilge and so the leak must have been coming from the tank. As the sun rose we started emptying the side lazarette in the cockpit - there is so much stuff on board that we will need a ruthless paring down back in Blighty! Eventually we freed up the inspection cover to reveal the top of the fuel tank and, just like when we left New Zealand, could see a small flow of diesel from the tank access hatch, across the tank and down to the bilges. The leak was either from under the small plate holding the fuel level sender or the compression joint on the return fuel feed pipe into the tank. I tightened up both. In fact there was a surprising amount of slack in the screw bolts securing the sender plate and also in each of the 12 screw bolts holding down the main inspection hatch within which the fuel sender plate is located. Tightening everything seemed to do the trick and I imagine this only became an issue because the tank is brim full.

Today the wind was forecast to be stronger - 15 to 20kts and tonight increases 17 to 22kts with rain and squalls. Joy!! In fact we have rain and squalls today with wind to 25kts. Between the squalls the wind has been light and fickle. We had one reef in the mainsail but have now put in a second. As Des encouraged us this morning - “still a long way to go so sail for safety and comfort”.