37:13.2N 48:12.3W

135 miles logged to noon UTC. Winds are now light, from the west-northwest, and we’re in a light mist. We’re coasting along reasonably well – not as fast as we’d like but at least it’s very comfortable sailing with not too much rolling. The crew is wondering why we aren’t taking the opportunity to scramble some eggs.

Fresh food supplies have held out quite well in the more moderate temperatures that we’ve experienced since Bermuda, although the last broccoli and carrots will be served with Boeuf Bourgignon this evening. We’ve also had fresh fruit every morning but will move to tinned in a day or so as we finish the last apples and oranges. The fridge is looking quite empty, but the freezer still has 8 meals in it. And of course if needed we have many days of food to draw on in the form of tins and packets. Onions, garlic and ginger are still available to add interest, and our cabbage supplies remain excellent. Paddy produced a superb lightly curried coleslaw for lunch.

Yesterday afternoon we had a wonderful display of dolphin activity, with at least 20 playing around Neroli for half an hour. They’re remarkably hard to photograph, but we did manage to get one or two and also some movie footage. At one point we had 6 or 8 in a line just in front of the bow, with others weaving back and forth in front of them.

A few minutes ago we passed the 1,000 nautical mile mark since leaving Bermuda. We are half-way to the Azores – and more than half-way in time, we believe, because our speed and direction have improved a good deal since the first few hard and slow days.

Note on knots: in yesterday’s blog entry we made a jocular reference to a one-handed double bowline – but this imagined knot turned out to describe an actual one. Last night Knotmeister Allan showed us the double bowline: a very useful way of creating a sling for lifting cargo – or even people (and demonstrated it with your correspondent as the test subject; the bruises will heal in due course).