27/5/08  17:30

I just discovered that as Demetri served lunch while I was in the middle of sending today’s  blog, and it didn’t go as I was distracted.  It’s gone now a few hours late. Sorry.  

Anyway the wind is beginning to go ESE prior to going East so we have  gybed the pole to make a more Northerly tack.  Naturally as soon as we  gybed the wind went back to SE but I think that’s just temporary.

28/5/08  06:00

I  came one watch to find Steve working on the boom. The fitting inside the mast end of the boom which attaches it to the mast has 5 machine screws  per side to hold it in position. He heard the last one from the Starboard side hit the deck. He retrieved two of the machine screws lying on the deck and has managed to find enough bits to make it safe again.  This is a good exmple of how important it is to be alert on watch. We wonder if the fitting which fits inside the boom extrusion is actually too short.

While looking for the missing machine screws he found a couple good size squid on deck which are being stored in the frying pan.

We dropped the pole an hour ago as the wind is becoming more variable. The Wind is currently E Force 5 and there is much less rolling motion without the pole. Good for those off watch.  Our boat speed is still respectable but not as dramatic as it has been.

It’s still very dark. No sign of dawn.  We will move the clocks back an hour later today to GMT -5 hours.  Now the wind is starting to go ENE which will make things warmer.

12:00 (the old 13:00)

Early morning sun has clouded over.  Wind ENE Force 6 just behind the beam.

I just had a disaster with the galley port hole.  As I was empting a porridge bowl a wave decided to pay us a visit.  As you can imagine I was really pleased. I was only emptying it because the Soya milk had gone off, the first time that’s happened as well.

Our daily run was 199 nautical miles.    Easter Island lurks 1223 miles off the Port Bow.

I enclose a picture of the boom end.