A bit of a ‘hokey cokey’ day with put in a reef, take out a reef etc as the wind came and went.  Subsequently quite a slow day.  We’ve been hard on the wind for 24hrs on port tack apart from an hour on starboard to make use of a temporary shift of wind to the north-west.  So we’re much further to the north than we’d like to be.  The front was not as well defined or severe as expected but came through with a bit of rain and a shift of wind to the south west, so are now just about pointing towards OZ. We had expected strong winds but these have not materialised though there’s been a few rainy squalls during the night.  We’re now waiting for the wind to go round to the south and then south east as the grib files promise but currently we’re still slugging away to windward with 3-4 metre seas, pondering upon those intrepid single handed sailors who go round the world ‘the wrong way’.  Thank goodness I pre-prepared 7 meals in advance so minimum amount of time spent in the galley and of course for my new sea-sick remedy!  Only had one alarm on the AIS all day – a cargo ship which passed us about 5 miles away.  No sea creatures but a few sea birds. However we do have a bit of ‘company’ as we chat to Michael on Astarte (currently in New Caledonia) twice a day on SSB.

24  hour distance:   145 miles