From the front Bob looks like a Friesian cow. His normally meticulous approach to all things on the boat became slapdash when slopping on the sun cream and he missed a bit, indeed he missed quite a lot. (His back, lovingly blended by his dear wife is deep and crisp and even). Mind you even dear wives have their less salubrious moments. When creeping in from night watch, keeping the lights off so as not to disturb, I placed myself firmly on the seat without establishing whether the loo lid was up or down. Unfortunately the latter.

We had an exhilarating night as the wind got up to 24 knots plus with rain sending the watchmen scuttling and cowering under the spray hood. (Every rain drop mid-Atlantic seems to be so voluptuously huge and sploshy). The wind became so loud that Bob had to give up watching his DVD because he couldn’t hear above the uproar.

His morning head to head with Gerry was diverted by another calamity. The wind was a steady force 6 and we could see the rain storms around. There was one on our tail threatening to catch up. As the wind started gusting 30 knots Haley went to furl in the genoa and the rope just kept coming and coming. Two screws had vanished from the furling drum. Bob the sailor can you fix it? Yes he can, although working on the writhing prow in a heavy swell was not easy (or dry). The wind has blown us further North than expected but are still making good progress towards our destination but will we be there for Haley;s birthday?

PS Thank you to Simon for identifying the floating rugs (Sargassum weed) and explaining phosphorescence.