At last, after many years I finally got out my Coldplay CD, well, Mile's Coldplay CD which he left on board a few years ago........and strung it across the solar panel and at last, forced Crapper, our pet Brown Footed Booby to relocate to the pulpit. It then took us an hour and several bucket fulls of water to scrub off and remove his "calling card". We've yet to make a start on the outboard and hoist as there may be a lucrative guano market in the Marquesas.

Highlight of the day yesterday was the Pub Quiz. Five boats took part answering questions from geography, nautical knowledge, history and other nonsense. Van Keddesi won the prize; a bottle of Time Bandit Single Malt Whisky. They kindly offered to have a party and share it out when we land.........there goes my plan as the "bottle" is one of our miniatures. May need to do a five loaves and fishes job with it.

On any passage, whether a few hours or a few weeks we always fall into the trap of, "at this speed, we'll be there by....." For the last week, we've been piling along in petrol blue waters at 7-9 knots 24 hours a day. At that speed, we'd have done the passage in 21 days. Ahh, but as usual, it was just tempting fate. The wind has eased to maybe 7-10 knots. Still enough to make 5 knots but, at times, in the swell, not enough to hold the main out. Consequently, we get the flip, flip, crash which makes sleeping harder and brings tears to my eyes as the mainsail flips inside out time and again. If the wind doesn't strengthen this afternoon we will drop the main and go on under poled out genoa and gennaker. Peaceful and, unless a squall comes raging in out the dark, easy sailing. If a squall comes in we have a problem. There's no mainsail to "hide" the gennaker behind and getting it down is a fight. Anyway, that's for later.

Right now we have a dolphin show. About two hundred yards away they're leaping out the water, twist, turns and big splashes. Not clear if they're just showing off, having fun or stunning passing fish so they can get a quick and easy meal. Our wee pal, Crapper was out chasing flying fish yesterday...on the wing. The poor wee flying fish we're flapping like crazy keeping just a beaks length from Crapper. When they ran out of steam, they ditched and Crapper just scooped them up. And of course, an hour later, pooped them up.