We've made good 134 miles across the bottom since leaving yesterday but sailed 146 miles chasing wind. Day 2 dawned with overcast skys (the "Pineapple Express"), calm seas and a very light breeze out of the WNW. We managed to sail last night for about 6 hours but a 0300 we turned the engine back on to try and keep our speed above 5 knots. We shut down the engine at 1100 local and are now sailing at around 6 kts in a 9kt northerly on our rhumbline to our first waypoint which is 1700 miles away. At this point we turn south and head through the ITCZ before resuming our course for Fatu Hiva. It's much cooler today - 27 degrees down below, so quite comfortable.

We had our breakfast this morning in company with a pod of about 20 small dolphins who danced and played around Volare for more than an hour. We are now keeping company with three Frigates. They have been flying around us for the past two hours, occasionally swooping down to check out our trolling line only to be just as dissapointed as us that there is no fish on the end of it (yet). These birds are amazing - they cannot land in the water (perhaps they can't swim) so they just keep flying around for weeks on end.

The sea is changing colour to a deep blue and last night was the first time on this trip that we have seen phospherous in the water. This plankton glows green and when it is stirred up in our wake can be mistaken for the lights of another yacht when caught in your peripheral vision.

Our friends on Talerra are 10 miles astern of us and there is another boat somewhere about 15 miles way.

All's well. #

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