Happy Birthday Matt!  Don’t want to speak too soon but seem to be on our way out of the laundrette!  Seas much better today - not as confused but still no long interval rolling swells.  Set a heavily reefed main and poled the genoa in the morning and sailed more west to try to line up with the bigger waves, but soon became apparent it was better to broad reach slightly higher.  After lunch headed up a few degrees and reduced the reef in the main, changed the genoa back and sailed on port tack at around 250 degrees for the rest of the day and all night – comfortable and making speeds of around 8 to 9 knots.  Our daily SSB net (controlled by Brian on Darramy still in the Galapagos) now includes several other boats also making their way to the Marqueses.  Brian gave us information yesterday suggesting 4 metre seas from Monday, grib files not quite so pessimistic but we will have to wait and see. Around 1700 last night we had a close encounter with a Chinese fishing boat. We assume he was trawling and could not alter course, so we gybed and tacked round in a big circle and let him pass well clear before continuing on course. Amazing how two boats can randomly converge in such a deserted part of the ocean!  Glorious night with early moon then sky full of stars, lovely milky way – fabulous!  Overnight flying fish on deck count: 6 big ones and a bucket full of tiddlers!

24 hour distance:  194 miles   Position: S09.38.608 W104.51.470