We're now into day 6 and covered 880 miles so nudging towards a third of the way to the Marquesas in French Polynesia!
The winds haven't been as consistent as we would like, mainly too light to make good speed but the last 24 hours have been better and we are now trudging along nicely. We spent the whole of yesterday morning trying out different sail configurations but couldn't get the boat to go any faster. It really is a case of being patient. Our friends in A'Cappella are 24 miles ahead of us, they have a better light wind sail than we do and it can make all the difference. We keep in radio contact with A'Capella 3 times a day so there's lots of discussion about weather/sea conditions, battery power, water making, fishing and the highlight of the day- what's for dinner?
We caught a lovely tuna the other day. The only problem is it's not really our favourite fish, particularly for Bill. Skipper has requested the next time I put the line out I catch a Mahi Mahi but I had to point out it's rather hard attaching a sign to the hook saying No Tuna Today Please!
The thought of eating fish again had dampened Bill's appetite so I cooked him a lasagna for dinner last night. It went down well and would have been even better with a glass of red wine but we remain tea total while at sea. I’ve also baked a banana cake while on passage and make bread every third day.
We stocked up with fresh fruit and veg before leaving the Galapagos but alas the bananas and pineapples ripened up too quickly. We still have apples, oranges and lemons (I make homemade lemonade which is very refreshing) but have tinned fruit to fall back on. I don't think we will suffer from Scurvy!

On the second day of passage our radar packed in. We don't know why but hope we can get it fixed in Tahiti. The radar is useful for warning us of any impending squalls coming our way particularly at night. Squalls tend to be rain with increased winds and shift of wind direction. It's best to reef the sails before the squall hits to have control of the boat and avoid any damage. Fortunately there is a lot of light from the moon at the moment but if not as a precaution we'll reef in before we settle down for the night.

We are in the process of trying to purchase a new outboard motor for the dingy too. Our electric motor packed in while in the Galapagos. We are in contact with a Suzuki dealer in Tahiti who can ship us a petrol outboard to the Marquesas. We are still waiting to hear via email if the deal can go ahead but all has gone quiet due to the Easter holidays (we hope?). So it seems French Polynesia is going to be expensive. As they say long distance sailing is just boat maintenance in exotic places!