Started our advent calendar today. Yes it is countdown day here on the ocean as well as back home. Warming up though as we head south and a little west- maybe there lies the difference. Plenty of sunshine and a patch of drizzle for 5 minutes and 40% cloud cover. Winds of mostly 10-15K from the north. That is the end of the weather report.

Our one sad moment was the passing of the fruit cake.

A happy moment was the inauguration of the Hydrovane wind self steering system. We need a name for it so do send in your suggestions. Most electronic autohelms are named George for some reason- possibly dating back to the RAF in world war 2. So again any explanation gladly received. Dad used to call his Archie after his best and laziest friend Arthur Gilbert.

At last we have weaned Steve from the galley and Skip was chef this evening.  The crew performed our first sketch after lunch with the Puckets forming 100% of the audience. A classic Peter Cook sketch from 1959.  Skip also rendered his famous 1961 monologue- ‘I’d rather be a judge than a miner...but I didn’t have the latin’. Jane is reading about a nurse at the front. They made those soldiers out of tough stuff. When she told a guy his eye was a gonner after he took a bullet in it he replied ‘Oh well, it will save me from having to close it when I am aiming my gun!’

The crew here are all well and mostly weaning ourselves off the seasickness pills as sea legs are (re)discovered.

Averaging 150 miles a day and with a quarter of this short leg completed  Cape Verde still on track for Friday p.m.

That’s all folks

Pete the skip