We have just completed our third day at sea.  After a slow start we were spoilt with a lovely day of blue skies and a ten knot southerly wind giving us six knots  boat speed whilst close hauled.  This died on the second night and since then we have had very intermittent wind but usually from the south.  More unusually we have had two days of grey skies and a lot of drizzle.  As I write the wind has filled in the engine is off (hurrah) and it is pouring with rain.  The clouds are totally obscuring the sun and we saw nothing of the fullish moon last night for the same reason.  We have had three lodgers that we do not know what to do about.  They arrived last night after dark.  Three cattle egrets who are a long way from home and are alas doomed we think.  We thought that there were two but Chris took  a flash photo and when we looked at the result we found a third!  It was that dark.  We cannot feed them anything they will want and I am sure that even if they knew the way some three hundred and fifty miles to land is beyond them.  They will not leave the boat and sit,  three huddled fluffy heaps  with thin stalk like legs and long yellow beaks protruding.

Our statisitcs are 116/123, 146/132, 146/123.   The first figure being the miles logged through the water in a day and the second being the miles achieved towards our destination. .  Thus you can see how we have found ourselves a very welcome current.  Incidentally we only switch the motor on when the sails slat and the speed is below  two knots. 

On the radio the boats some two hundred miles in front of us are experiencing sunshine and trade winds so we keep hoping our turn will come soon although they never had the grey rain we are experiencing.  Troubadour has alas been left behind in Academy Bay awaiting vital mail that sits unmoving on the Ecuador mainland.  This seems very bad luck, especially after Annabelle's research had produced such a good tour for us.  Hopefully they will be on their way soon.

Will report again in a few more days with stories of trade winds and caught fish!!

As ever all our best wishes

David, Annette and Christabelle.

PS Sat C tells us we should be experiencing SE up to 20 knots.  In reality it is pouring with rain, there is now no wind again and Mrs R has just come down after pegging out our salty towels for a 'natural wash' and at eleven thirty in the morning she is asking for, no demanding, a stiff drink!