Position at 10.00 GMT 22 52N, 28 03W. I’m afraid our nemesis has played its last card! After a fraught week trying to coax the water maker to work yesterday it decided to pack up. Despite Ian’s hard work and determination we have been unable to start it again and so the only option open to us is to divert to the Cape Verde islands to fill the water tanks and buy more jerry cans. This will take four days from here and then eighteen days to complete the trip from there to the Carribean.

It would be fair to say that everybody aboard are very disappointed not least because it means spending christmas at sea but we are pulling together to make the best of a bad situation.

Steve sends a message to his family to let them Know that all is ok aboard and not to worry!

The next blog will be tomorrow afternoon, once things have settled down on the boat again.