23.17 N 026.02 W

Mojo 2
Andrew Partington
Tue 10 May 2011 14:52
Tomorrow will be a week that we have been at sea and we are finally very close to our original turning point at 23 degrees north. I am considering, however, pushing a little further south to ensure we pick-up a good easterly flow once we make our right turn. Later today we should cross the Tropic of Cancer.
The last couple of days have been frustrating just waiting around for some breeze. We have motored and sailed south looking for more wind and today has finally provided us with some success. The wind currently sits immediately to our stern and is pushing us along at 4-5 knots. I would like more but this will do.  
Part of the frustration in searching for wind is that the overnight watches continue whether or not you are making good progress. Our watch is split between Daniel and myself. We alternate through the night with the first watch finishing at midnight and the changing every three hours after that. The weather has been good so this makes the nights a little easier. We have had clear skies, moon and millions of stars to enjoy. There are times where I find myself nodding off but you quickly wake up as your head is about to collapse onto the steering wheel. Sometimes I don't even bother getting undressed between watches and just fall into a coma on my bunk for 3 hours. During the day both of us try to sleep at some point to prepare for the next night. Lyn has spent some time with us on watch but she does not have enough knowledge of sailing for her to feel confident in being left alone at the helm station.
What has been surprising so far is the lack of swell and the lack of other boats. We have only seen one ship since we left Las Palmas and no private vessels. We have seen the evidence of other people by the amout of [mostly] plastic waste floating by.
I have had a few emails from people telling me they have been reading the blog, which is great, and hopefully we will be able to load some photos in due course.
It is great to hear form people but please for the sake of saving us valuable download time on the sat-phone can you only send plain text emails with no attachments.
We are starved of news. We heard that Bin Laden had been killed but I don't know how the mighty "Dockers" are going.
Regards, Andrew Partington