Quite a night with a trough giving us SW winds up to F7 and 4 reefs in the genoa and 2 in the main. And topping at 10K before getting up at 0100 for some sail weaking and running  down wind a little more. Managed to get some sleep despite this though I dozed with the steering remote control unit strapped to my wrist so i could keep checking on course and speed.

Early this morning the wind died so we are motoring again through a confused sea with main swell from the north against the more recent top waves from the SW so the motion is somewhat random.

Nevertheless we are making great progress, over half way to Horta on the westerly Azores island of Faial, with about 850 M to go- could be arriving in some 5+ days all being well

A young lady from the Azores

Had the most terrible sores

She saw  Dr Tony

who wished he could only

get to the route of the cause

Saw 2 dolphin past us on their way

Scarcely gave us the time of day

Maybe it was the sound of snoring

That made them think we’ve become boring

More birds today- even a half a flock of shearwaters

Swooping around us- their flight must have been an inspiration for fighter aircraft designers

We watch them whilst we await the next NW breeze to kick in and push us along towards our destination

Now we are over half way there is a feeling of counting down the miles, hours and days that is somehow different and more satisfying than on the first half of the journey when it can feel like it will take for ever.

We are also seeing more big ships- container ships ( better keep them on board!) and car freight ships- heading west. Most of them on a course towards New York

Tuna bake tonight but the main question is will it be fresh?

I suspect the answer may lie in the ode below

The skip crossed the pond and took 2 crew with him

When someone threw a tuna at him

Now Tuna are soft and they come in a skin

But this bugger didn’t it came in a tin

Meals have been good to date and as we run down fresh food stocks we shall need to be increasingly inventive with our recipes. Thai chicken tomorrow then maybe a good old fashioned Ham, egg, toms and mash on Saturday.

All well

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