12:06.40N 36:36.49W

Well we're certainly getting the miles ticked over! We've done over 800NM in just 5 days. The wind and waves are more than we expected but that's the sea for you. However many weather forecasts one consults, you can never be totally sure about what you'll get. The waves are 5-6 metres and one could hide a double decker bus in between them. The wind is blowing 25 to 30 knots. We're doing some great speeds with just the genoa up. Our latest record is 19 knots (!!!) surfing on a wave. The boat is handling the weather really well and it's not too uncomfortable. We're managing to get some sleep. The kids are happy playing, reading, eating, chatting and go to bed around p.m. (when we start our night shifts) and sleep through to am. Breakfast was pancakes this morning (yum!), lunch was tuna sandwich and tonight we're having steak with mashed potatoes. During the day things are pretty relaxed. Reading, playing, cooking, cleaning, chilling and a daytime snooze if possible. We're swapping our shifts to get some variety so last night Seathan did the first one (from 8pm-11pm) and tonight it will be me doing the first shift. The autopilot has been doing a great job (although we need to top up the batteries with the generator a couple of times a day as it sucks a lot of energy). It's also been getting warmer every day but it's still cloudy. The kids and I have started to fantasize about white sandy beaches, palm trees, swimming and snorkelling, pizza and Wi-Fi. Oh the reward is going to be so sweet when we get there! :-)

From skippers worry list; there is a weed that is floating everywhere on the surface that threatens the raw water intakes in a big way, its new to me, a yellow frond like plant that seems to grow about football size and resemble a spherical starfish, sorry I cant post a photo.

Go the marine biologists?

At last we are free from the Saharan dust the clean-up begins all we need first is a good heavy Atlantic downpour.

As Audrie writes the waves are pretty impressive, last night before moon rise and after sunset I put the hull navigation lights on to give some perspective on the scene, I felt like a cartoon character on a cork being launched at 45 degrees down some interminable slope, its amazing how quickly the fatigue disappears when the adrenalin starts pumping, coffee who needs it!