A pretty uneventful night. There was quite a rolling swell running so we dropped the mainsail and are just using the genoa. Still rolling but not so violently.

Dolphins came alongside at 1830 and entertained us for a while. These are quite small and dark olive green/brown in colour. Annie got so carried away she played her saxophone for them. This might sound a bit weird but in fact there is an amazing story in “A Pattern of Islands” (recommended reading for any romantic adventurer) where the local shaman in the Gilbert and Ellis Islands calls up the dolphins - whereupon the whole school dutifully arrives at the beach and allows itself to be carried, dolphin by dolphin, up onto the sand. The rest of the tale isn’t quite so romantic but it was a good source of protein for the islanders……………

All romance also went out the window when there was a blood curdling scream from the cockpit. Fearing pirates I gingerly put my head above the parapet to find Annie confronted by a flying fish that had landed on board. This fish must have been all of four inches long but was eventually manhandled (actually womanhandled) overboard with the aid of a tea towel. The picture is of one poor little fellow that landed during the night.

Still on schedule to arrive in Dakar at first light.