Happy Monday folks. This is our third day out from Tarawa, and as we say on the radio scheds - All well onboard. Apart from the odd minor squall the predicted weather - 10-15kts - is turning out correct so far, always a pleasant surprise. At 3 pm yesterday, Sunday, we crossed the equator and IM is now in the Southern Hemisphere again after nearly 18 months north of the line. Wish I could say it's also now cooler, but we need to get quite a bit further south before we crack out the warm clothes. The ocean temperature is still 29, the ambient cabin temp as I type, 31.5.

Our departure from Tarawa went smoothly, unlike some of our airport scrambles. Choosing your own time to up anchor certainly helps, although tides keep you honest. Just out of the Tarawa heads we passed the pilot boat waiting for another purse seiner to come into Betio, making a total of 10 fishing trawlers including mother ships, in Tarawa at the moment. Local people advised that the 'fish are running' this month in Kiribati waters but sadly we still haven't had any luck, despite Tone optiimistically throwing out a line each day , and even passing though a patch swarming with fish jumping ouu of the water this morning.

Later on Saturday afternoon, while we were still in VHF radio range a pan pan came through from Tarawa Radio (emergency aboard a vessel but no immediate threat to life) . Three local fisherman have gone missing in their 20ft wooden boat, equipped only with a 40hp outboard and 80 litres of fuel. Local fishermen going missing at sea is very common in Kiribati, sometimes they turn up months later having drifted all the way to Nauru or Banaba. Sadly however, most times they don't turn up at all. We vigilantly scoured the horizons all that day and the next, keen to find and help the missing men, but like our fishing attempts, no luck.

Watching the bright lights of Betio disappear over the night hoizon I couldn't help thinking about the fishermen, out in the dark (at least it wasn't cold or stormy), no doubt getting hungrier and tired. Sitting in the comparative luxury of IM's cockpit I felt lucky to be, touch wood, safe and dry and well fed. Back in Betio the super powerful lights of the first world fishing fleet shone like daylight. Their crews, also well fed, were no doubt ashore enjoying some R & R, and communicating, internet permitting, with their loved ones far away. Most I-Kiribati fishermen do not have basic safety equipment such as life jackets, flares, VHF Radio or even oars or a make shift sail aboard their small open craft. They brave the blue deep water ocean at their doorstep trying to make a living and feed their families in boats the size of a small tinnie, with no sun or rain protection, leaving in the early morning and returning after dark. I hope these men are found.

Despite it being our third equator crossing it was still a thrill, and being as superstitious as the next sailor we made the customary offerings to Neptune to ensure a good passage. Being superstitious, we have also never left port on a Friday, but due to official office hours have to check out on Friday if we wish to go Saturday. The Immigration and Customs people were most obliging, happily stamping our passports and clearance forms for a Saturday departure, understanding only too well the need to keep the ocean gods happy. Fingers crossed our 'precautions' work and the weather holds up, it's been a great few days sail so far, although the strong easterly current is keeping us from gaining as much easting as we hoped, so no doubt there wll be some long tacks down the track.

Tuvalu is 719 nm from Tarawa, and we have 547nm to go! One hour on an airliner is four days for us. Enjoy your day!