It is getting increasingly difficult to write this blog because midday UTC is only 2 1/2 hours after sunrise here so most of the events happened yesterday.

 

The wind fell away yesterday to a forecast 10 knots and so we took the hanked on sail down and replaced it with the cruising chute (flown as a headsail). All day yesterday and all night we were tweaking the settings to maximise speed in the puffs and avoid the sails flapping in the lulls. The net result was an average of 5.25 knots.

 

However by morning the wind had freshened and, as I write, we are making 6 - 7 knots ground speed. We have just erected the sunshade since we feel it will be hot today.

 

Kay reports that there is an ARC boat just ahead of us and one just behind although we haven't seen either (and probably won't since our horizon is only 10 miles and the ocean is very big!)

 

Ted made some corned beef fritters with a potato, onions & cheese followed by stewed plums and custard. The plums have been with us since the start and never ripened so this was a tasty way polishing them off.

 

There is no doubt that we are eating well in no small measure due to Kay's recipe books and her efforts at menu planning and purchasing before the voyage. It must be obvious to our readers that good food is important to us as well as providing important milestones in the day.

 

We are having a charging day today with power for Peter's toothbrush (240v) being provided from the batteries via an invertor. The skipper had a haircut on deck yesterday. Fortunately he chose his moment well between big waves or he may have ended up with a very strange hairstyle.

 

JMH