0.48S 86.35W

Messed around with Fischer Panda to no avail, I even made it worse! Someone said we could replace a non-cogged fanbelt with a cogged one; it didn’t work though so had to put the old one back and pull the alternator right to the very end of it’s travel. It is however working. Winds variable and only 125 miles to go.

Keith

Yesterday evening we were visited by some friendly would-be pirates. They weren’t very threatening though – a little too jolly by half - and as soon as we offered them some ice-cold drinks they went away, leaving us in peace. I suggested they go on a course in Somalia to improve their menacing demeanour. They didn’t offer us any of their fish in return for the drinks so I suppose they have at least mastered the basics of piracy.

We have had more fascinating fauna today. We have had our first suicidal flying fish. Found this morning, dry and rather salty, on the port quarter. Attempted to feed it to a seagull, but the seagull showed little interest. The seagull did however seem very keen on hitching a ride with us to the Galapagos. It sat on our dinghy for most of the morning, crapping all over it with gay abandon but not joining in the conversation at all. A most trying and tiresome house-guest.

No conclusive evidence yet to solve the mystery of the plughole vortex. We may perhaps be too close to the equator still, but mostly the water seems to drain straight down the  plughole sans vortex. I have observed one half-hearted clockwise vortex so far.

Guido