Malua is at 16:59.7N 31:47.0W at 0600 UTC on 29/11/2012

Distance covered 1225

Distance to go 1639

Days run 151 nm

Since we changed to a main and a poled out genoa we have increased our speed, the sea has gone down and the boat is not jumping around as much and we have increased our daily run to a healthy 151 nm above average.

We did not do much except read and sit around although around lunch time we put out the fishing lures and hauled in two rather nice wahi wahi – small but rather good.  Piers got two smaller ones which we let return to the deep after their sleigh run to Malua.  While I was reeling in the fish which I do from the port cockpit rail I lifted the rod, the fish rose up in the following swell and before I knew it the line was in the wind generator going round and round dragging more line from the reel.  A quick grab at the safety knife at the wheel cut the line and a dive for the other end ensured we saved the fish for the pan.  I had to stop the blades to untangle the line from the shaft and last quite a lot of line so now I have a knot at a critical point in the line – oh well the big one may just get away.

We are now 16 degrees west of Greenwich and the time has moved on so we set our deck clock to advance one hour.  We still record everything in GMT time but my watch starts at 9:00 pm an hour later.  It suits be better for I have some time after supper to settle down before it get dark.

Just before lunch a yacht appeared out of no where on the port quarter.  I could not see them on the AIS so I hailed them on VHF ch 16.  They turned out to be a Norwegian vessel CU @ Sea on their way to Barbados. We said we would keep in touch but before you knew it they had disappeared over the horizon.

A magical moment on Malua