Bob is smiling, if not a bit smug.  Gerry has just got on with the job with the two way catheter in place. A quiet and consistent murmur meets each bout of activity.  In revenge for kyboshing every attempt at opting out he has taken to drinking heavily but we have an abundance of oil on board to keep him in high spirits.

As we near Antigua we are having to time our gybes “just right” to hit the target.  We had another go at sailing downwind yesterday but the sea is too lumpy and the rolling unacceptable for what is meant to be a pleasurable leisurely experience.  Haley and Fleur put in a gybe at 3am which should now take us straight in.

Cook has a favourite tack and a distinctly un-favourite tack.  When on the un-favourite tack, cooking requires wedging your heels in to the wall, bending over double, juggling with everything that flies out of the cupboards and off the counter top while dodging the burning oven door which has gimballed itself out defensively.  On the other hand, this same tack means that cook gets a better time in bed.  Instead of being flung against the sharp edge of the bedside table with a lee cloth bulging with Bob looming over me I get to lean against the squashy, forgiving canvas and intrude hugely into Bob’s territory. Life on a boat is fascinating!

We are bouncing along at a great pace under the classic trade wind and thoroughly enjoying the perfect sailing conditions.  Ample wind, 2 and a half to 3 metre virtually following sea and a blue sky with beaming sun and fluffy clouds.  Flocks of flying fish keep us entertained.  This is what it is all about. But the big question on everyone’s lips is: will we reach Antigua in daylight?