Tuesday, 18 May

2000 nm from Galapagos Islands, only 1000 nm to Marquesas. We feel that we are on the downhill run.

We have certainly entered into a daily routine with our two hours on four hours off schedule. Plenty of time for enjoying the sail, resting and meals etc.

Photo 1: Ross having a sleep and recovering from dawn watch

Photo 2: Ross studying

Photo 3: Hiding from a rain shower

Another beautiful night on deck last night with the thin crescent of the new moon and brilliant starlight. We are rolling along downwind in about 20 knots of Easterly, on course, and making better than 8 knots over the ground, so our 200 nautical mile days are continuing with our present
conditions.

With the wind more in the east, we are now sailing with a poled out Genoa.

Photo 4: Sailing with the poled out Genoa

The clouds and very occasional light rain come and go here in the Tropics, sometimes building up at dusk and sometimes at dawn, but usually short lived, then back to sunshine and a beautiful deep blue ocean, or starlight and a bio-luminescent display around the hull.

Fishing has been a bit lean after the Mackerel, with only two more fish hooked but lost. One was a very pretty Mahi Mahi ( Dolphin Fish) which was landed on the swim platform but flicked off before being secured, and the other was far too big for us because it bit clean through the stranded steel trace and disappeared with our lure.

Cyndy's evening meals remain the highlight of the day, closely followed by Stephen's brunches, then our quiet little drink session at 1700 Salacia time.

The group of boats in front of us are arriving or nearing anchorages in the Marquesas in light ENE winds, and the group behind are making good time in steady SE winds. We will have 1000 nautical miles remaining by this evening and we are wishing and hoping for our current conditions to remain.

With the sunrises occurring about 13 minutes later each day and the sunsets correspondingly later in the evening as we cruise steadily west, we will soon have to adjust our Salacia time to local time in the Marquesas which is three and a half hours behind the Galapagos (Salacia time).

All on board are well.