8/2/08  13:00

We left Cape Horn at 10.  Everyone really enjoyed the experience. I mentioned there was a choice of three passport stamps, well Paolo and Nik had all three. 

We’re motoring into the grey murk.  It’s still raining lightly.

If anyone had told me I’d be napping and having hot showers while motoring across the Drake Passage, I never would have believed them, but that’s just what’s been happening.

A bit of stitching has come undone near the top of the mainsail probably caused by the furling and unfurling.  This sail has already done quite a few thousand miles.  Fortunately we have a sail maker on board. 

17:00

Wind finally arrives: SSW Force 4 around 15 knots. Engine off and we’re able to sail 20 degrees East of the required course.  Saturday evening it’s meant to go North so we’ll be able to make up whatever Easting we make. At least the engine’s off.  At the moment it looks  like we should arrive Deception Island early Monday  morning but who knows what surprises Mr Drake has in store for us.

Paolo and Steve spend an hour adjusting the tension of the shrouds and eliminate the slight side to side movement which was beginning to develop.

9/2/08  6 AM

We gave up sailing a little after midnight and are still motoring.  We may not get any useful wind until  tonight.  I’m very glad I had one of the water tanks converted into an extra fuel tank. 

Saw a couple of  ships in the night passing several miles off.  Temp is down to 5 C and you can now see your breath. Sea Temp 8 C.

12:00 Noon

Still bloody motoring.  At least there’s plenty of hot water for showers from the engine heat exchanger.  We should start to get North wind later this afternoon.

Out 24 hour run was  171 miles, only 8 hours of which was under sail.  Deception Island is another 311 miles, so it’s still loooking good for an early Monday morning arrival.