6 am
Now we're in the Caribbean sea proper. Got a bit of a squally night but no big winds just a little rain here and there and some wind-shifts. I pole out the jib and jibe the main earlier (3-4 am) during my watch. The wind is good now NE at 12 kts. and hopefully it'll stay like this until we reach Panama. Our speed is good (mid fives) and our heading is pretty much straight for Panama.

Stove: it has 2 burners on top and the oven. I wouldn't worry too much [about the part] unless it could get to Panama in a week.
Generator: no, I won't buy a Watt and Sea; they are too expensive, but I'm sure sick and tired of trying to generate enough electricity! I have a plan to fix the existing one but I still have the prop problem... we'll see.
I just started a book by Mario Vargas Llosa on my kindle. I wonder if he was this year's Nobel prize for lit. The first chapter was about a woman trying to start a labor movement in France and the second jumps to a Gaugin like character in Tahiti so I'm not sure where it's headed but it looks good. It's called "Way to Paradise".
I think I'm going to take a wee bit of a nap because I've been up all my watch!!
Alan

7:30 pm
Nice following wind built up today. Panama is 460nm away and we are pretty much on course making small variations in heading as the wind changes in direction and force. We had a few sail maneuvers to try and keep the boat moving but without being stressed . We got mostly clear skies so the solar panels charged well.
We still have a quarter tank of diesel on our port tank and we haven't started the starboard tank, plus the equivalent of a tank and a half in jerrycans in the bowels of the boat.
The sunset is beautiful.
We watched a few episodes of Arrested Development (pretty stupid but funny enough)
I totally got into Way to Paradise by Vargas LLosa and it turns out that it is a story of Gaugin's life and the revolutionary type woman of the parallel story turns out to be his grand mother. It is really a wonderful book but I am left thoroughly depressed, people doing great things but having terribly sad lives. I didn't know any details about Gaugin's life and the book is obviously romanced but it is both very credible and moving. I'm glad I'm reading especially since we're going to the Marquesas where he is buried.
On these trips, you do let your mind wander since none of the busy-ness of life is here to assail you. And predictably when this happens one soon tackles the heavy questions such as love, death, the pursuit of happiness and of course the meaning of life! So when I read a book dealing with some of these lofty subjects I am prone to strong reactions, especially since you're not here with me. ..... So the book is depressing, but it's so good that I'll keep reading it.
Although there were many uplifting passages, I can see how the story is heading for a brick wall so I'm not anticipating any warm and fuzzy feeling by the time I turn over the last page. I'll let you know.
Alan