The wind backed to the East again in the night and then died. The pole had to come down in the inky dark and we motorsailed for a while with just the main set. The wind returned with energy more from the south east just after dawn and we are now bouncing along on this passage's favourite combo of genoa and mizzen, the main being too close to the genoa to set.

We have been making our own personal milestones the last day or so. We passed the three quarter mark yesterday; we have now spent more time at sea than on any other ocean passage - the previous record was 2 passages of 17 days each; we have spent more time without seeing another human being; tomorrow we pass the half way mark between Panama and New Zealand; and we have never been so long without a beer!

"Eye Candy" passed us at last late yesterday, although they are 60 miles North of us, as they are heading to the Northernmost island of Nuku Hiva first. "Moonfleet" is the first of our little fleet to make landfall. They arrive at Fatu Hiva today. We still have several days to get to the islands, of course, not helped by light winds from the aft quarter, which heavy little Saraoni doesn't like.

At least nothing has gone wrong on this trip (so far). Of the boats that we have been listening in to on the Magellan net, one actually sunk (Nirvana Now, the 2 yachties rescued in time), four have had rigging failures, but have limped into the Marquesas with jury rigs; one has lost its rudder (but is doing very well 300 miles in front of us towing a chain and anchor drogue); another developed a leak from its rudder post; two more ripped their main sails, yet another has just lost the bottom half of their wind vane.

No doubt, Nuku Hiva Yacht Services, the only repair facility in the Marquesas, has been making plenty of money as the yachts arrive from Mexico to Ecuador! The jerky, rolly motion on this passage - so often referred to by everyone as a "confused sea" - is hard on gear. We still have a long way to go, so don't want to waste time in Paradise fixing broken gear!

Anyway, fixing things or not,one little job we will certainly have to do once anchored is to remove large quantities of green "veges" that have been growing on the topsides of the boat - green weed which grows wherever it is wet, which means almost half the entire two topsides. We wonder what octupuses garden is growing on the bottom of this yellow submarine?