Busy day

17:30UTC 28/11/07 16'28N 045'37W Wind ESE4

We've spent most of the morning preparing for some forecast lighter weather. That will require the mainsail, and a pulley at the top of the mast has become very stiff, probably with dust from La Gomera, and makes it tough to hoist the sail. So we swapped the halyard to another pulley, all done without climbing the mast by a complex operation involving a third long length of line to allow us to pull the halyards through different paths. It all went smoothly and we've now hoisted the main, gybed onto port tack and are shooting along in a good breeze. Although it's forecast to drop later, we're making the most of it now. 140 miles again yesterday, and we're keeping up that pace right now.

It's hot, despite the breeze so everyone is a bit lethargic and spending a lot of time reading, dozing and preparing each meal. Most of the fresh fruit and veg has gone now, as has the cheese and cold meats, so we're down to packets and tins but the menus are surprisingly inventive and we are still eating extremely well. Of more concern is the need to ration the wine as it looks like we could run out a day or two before arrival. The crew don't know it, but I have a couple of extra bottles hidden in another locker to pull out of the hat at the last minute and salvage morale.

Cocktail last night was a Long 'waytothe' Island Iced Tea. Cold tea, lemon, rum, vodka. Sounds better than it was.

Melissa - if you're reading this you should know that we finished that exceptionally good bottle of Bourbon you gave us long ago and have consigned the bottle to the 5000m deep. I'm also trying and failing to remember the words to Barratt's Privateers but given the quality of my singing, it's probably for the best. "I was told we'd sail the seas for American gold, fire no guns, shed no tears. Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier, the last of Barratt's Privateers"

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