Greetings,

Last night and this morning we had lots of strong rain as we sailed beneath towering thunderheads. Manjula woke me this morning as a squall about 4 miles wide hovered over us for almost an hour. It brought pouring rain and up to 30 knots of wind. It was Manjula's watch but she woke me just to be on the safe side. I was proud of Manjula as I lay on the couch in the cabin watching her trim the sails and steer the boat to best manage the strong winds. She ended up not needing me at all. She is becoming quite the sailor.

As the sun came up we emerged from the squalls and were taken by the sights. We were surrounded by clouds of all sorts. Big lumbering thunderheads, puffy white low clouds, high whispy clouds, and squalls with clearly defined rain touching the sea. We were sailing in bright sun and calm winds and seas through this strange world. We had arrived in the ITCZ. It was very hot and had been all night. None of us slept well in the heat and humidity and by late morning we decided to stop the boat and take a swim. The water was 84 degrees. By the afternoon the wind had stopped completely and we began what we expect will be two to three days of motoring.

We are finally getting the photo thing figured out, so we'll be sending a photo or two soon. In the mean time here's a photo of Endless Summer at the boat yard getting ready for this trip. She has her mast removed and is getting all new rigging and much more work done.

Best to all, Steve