Day four. Each two-man shift has now been through the full rotation of watches. Everyone has seen every hour of the day. As the weather remains kind to us a pattern is developing. The tail end of the 3-6am shift sees it get light behind us and the sun rises shortly after the 6-9am shift begins. By the end of this shift it is warm, and 9am-12pm is becoming the suntan shift. The sun rises to its zenith, getting hotter and hotter, and by 10am it is baking. By midday the sea looks all too appealing and spray over the sides from waves is welcome. Shortly after 1pm deck begins to get shaded by the top of the mainsail and becomes  a cool retreat in the afternoon. By 4pm the temperature is the most pleasant of the day and the light becomes richer and warmer.  The sun catches the tops of the endless ranks of waves marching away from us towards the horizon underneath the main on the starboard side and by 5pm the blue sky is fading into pastel colours. The last few evenings have seen the sky covered in all directions by long lines of small cumulus clouds. Soon after 6pm the sun dips below the horizon for another day. No green flash yet though – is it a myth? The stars are not long behind. In early evening the Southern Cross is visible on our port side at the same time as the Big Dipper, upside down,  is in the sky on our starboard. At the same time Orion is dead ahead of us, but disappears from view after a few hours. The starry starry night deepens, pierced by occasional shooting stars, until the first suggestions of light in the East and a new day. These timings will change the further West we get but judging by the short-term weather forecasts this pattern will remain the same for the foreseeable.

Of other life there is little sign. A few birds, petrels and shearwaters, and flying fish are our only companions. Some squid have washed up on deck during the last few nights. Unfortunately not big enough for calamari though.