The ship’s doctor writes:

 

Position:  22:58.91N 59:19.03W

 

Another good days progress – some 185 nm noon to noon. We spent a comfortable night averaging over 7 knots with the sea somewhat easier and the boat’s motion making the day to day tasks of life aboard that much less trying. ( I had forgotten how tiring living on a yacht at sea could be with the simplest tasks taking considerable time and effort – always heaving against gravity and the pitch of the boat. Perhaps the fact that I am in my 60th year not my 24th may have some influence – as well as a considerably altered power-weight ratio!)

 

Being at sea has not been a hindrance to Simon’s indefatigable efforts in the galley. He has so far made not one but two cakes – the first admittedly slightly more biscuit  than gateau but excellent nevertheless – and has also baked a loaf of bread. We await souffles  and tarte tartin  in due course.

 

Antigua is now far behind us and we are surrounded by empty ocean in every direction. We nearly relieved the sea of a fish this morning – but what looked like a very sizeable beast given the glimpse we had of a large fin was more than a match for the weight of line and is now swimming around somewhere with 50 m of nylon for company. We will perhaps wait for smaller fry in the cooler waters further north.

 

The skipper – who is obviously omniscient – has decreed that the ship’s time will change by 2 hours so that we maximise the use of daylight and the six two-hour watches span the night hours.

 

As I write the wind has eased but has also come round to south east so that we are no longer reefed but still making 7 knots in some 11 knots of breeze. We will continue north for another day or so before hopefully starting to make some easting.

 

David, Simon and Stephen