Good noon to noon of 161.2nm which gives us 69nm to our halfway point. We will be there sometime this evening. 

The sailing generally was good overnight with the winds remaining at a reasonable speed until about 08.00 this morning when they died and backed to the NE for a time. I think that was more of a local wind shift under a series of dark rain clouds that we saw on the horizon rather than a general change. Certainly we do not expect the wind to go North Easterly. It meant a gybe or two while it lasted but we were back on track late morning with the wind once again in the ESE. 

At the moment it is another fantastic day sailing in blue sky and about 10 knots of wind. We have all three sails set, Main, jib poled to windward and the Code 0 to leeward, long may it last. 

There is still very little marine life about except flying fish and the odd bird. Even the fish are evading my line at the moment but I am optimistic that I can re-supply our fridge with a Tuna before the final bit of fresh meat runs out in a day or two’s time! 

The daily routine is well established now - Doreen is on watch from 06.00 to 09.00 so she gets the sunrise. When we left the Galapagos that was at approx 06.15 but now that we have travelled nearly 15 degrees West from our starting point it is about an hour later as is the evening twilight. At some point we will have to start moving our ships clock back but probably not for a another day or two. I join her around 09.00 and make any sail changes that are needed, we then have breakfast together and  see what jobs need doing for the day eg Running the watermaker, general cleaning, showers, boat jobs including any repairs etc. At midday we do the 12.00 log to see how far we have come that day and decide what we are going to do about food. We will either have a light lunch depending on what needs to be used and a dinner around 18.00 or more often than not just have a meal late afternoon. We don’t run official watches during the day and both get some sleep as necessary. In the evening I will do a watch from 18.00 to 21.00, then Doreen from 21.00 to Midnight and then myself from Midnight to 06.00. It is a loose arrangement but works well for us. 

There has been a lot more time for reading on this trip than previously, mainly due to the easier motion because of the better conditions. It is great because I have been saving a couple of good books especially for this crossing. One book was loaned to me by Jono’s (S-in-L) father about the ultimate  Australian adventurer called Hubert Wilkins. It is an incredible account of his life and I knew that I needed some uninterrupted time to read it. It is a book that you cannot put down once you start and has really got my thoughts onto what we (or maybe I if Doreen knows what I am thinking….) can do after we complete this circumnavigation in a few years time. We have both also been reading some of the accounts from other Cruising couples in the Ocean Cruising Club's “Flying Fish “ magazine. When you read where other people have cruised to it makes what we are doing look like a “milk run” but certainly gets you thinking. Of course in comparison to the exploits, boats and conditions of some of the pioneers of the cruising life in the early to mid 20th century we really do have it easy! Food for thought….

That is all for now, all well onboard.

Cheers

Saphir