Well, we arrived in Fortaleza a few days ago.  Crazy town, but not what you would call a pretty or tourist mobbed place.  A lot of crime they say but has been good to us... So far... And the beaches are fantastic, when you get ut of town..  The down side has been customs.  Tina went to see the Brazilian embassy in Panama before she joined the yacht and was told all would be ok arriving here by yacht...... How wrong they were.  The poor lass had to leave the country yesterday to get a visa and fly back in.... What a dick around.  We were lucky we had a nice bloke to help us, but we were advised if we had had one of the older more grumpier officials serve us, we also could have been told to leave the country.  A real pain but suppose must count our blessings.  We have decided to sail for Salvador ourselves (800 nm... Not a short trip) and that Tina should fly in and meet us there.  I hope this is not a taste of things to come with South American officials ;)

Otherwise it has been a good few days.  The yachties we have met here in port have been a fun bunch and have kept us amused.  The plan is to sail tomorrow after the final fresh food shop.  We still have a few hundred miles of wind and current against us until we round the shoulder and head south with hopefully more favorable conditions.  We shall see....... ;)

Matt and Rohan