Now these trade winds....the "experienced" crew keep banging on about when we get into the trade wind belt and how we'll be roaring down wind with all sails flying. Well, as we motor steadily through the ARC fleet spread over 300 miles of ocean one wonders whether the "experienced" crew are suffering collective amnesia - perhaps exacerbated by advancing years.

The mornings excitement was provided when Engineering noticed a piece of foredeck equipment had fallen off the boom. Experienced crew told me it was a Vang, a Cunningham or a Kicker  - they could not agree what to call it. 10 days at sea have taught me that the sillier the name of something the less important it is. Anyway, Engineering solved the problem with a bit of rubber matting and some glue; the axe was almost utilised.

Skip and Doc (MA, PhD Oxen etc etc) had been discussing about the risks of having only one sheet on the inner genoa and so Skip decided to climb the mast to attach a lazy something to it. Shrimpy had to lie about his weight as he though it might be possible that that lazy something might not be allowed down.

Political discussion was enjoined over lunch (less Nav-man feeling slightly under the weather) and it was decided that, despite Engineering being natural UKIP supporters, they were really more in favour of immigration so that less work had to be done by the indigenous working classes. Out here our Borders seem most secure.

With 1,400 miles to run coming up, and the wind nearly puffed out, we decided to have the highest swim of our lives. We floated in the briny, at about 27C, some 5,000 meters above the sea bed. Luckily Homan stayed aboard and was awake as the boat moved quite rapidly away. Shortly after a pod of dolphins appeared. Dreamy.

Two more things to mention. You are getting the impression, I suspect, that things are a bit slow on board. Correct. Climbing masts, joining in the oceanic food chain and polishing silver (yes we have silver cutlery on board which Schnoogle determined needed polishing) are signs of a slow sailing day.

Finally, we decided it was too hot to cook tonight so had a High Tea of fresh baked bread and peanut butter sandwiches and slices of Mrs Cuthbert's Life Enhancing Fruit Cake. Amazing. We wish her well for her return flight to civilisation on Sunday.

Hope this message gets through the Mailasail message muncher....