It is strange that in such a wide ocean there are huge variations in the wind. Last night it was swivelling 10 – 30 degrees at a time and dropping from 15 – 5. Keeps the helmsmen challenged though.

Hard to believe we have been out here for 6 days. We have completed almost 700 miles and though we are not at the back of the fleet we are not covering anything like some of the other boats. May be expecting a bit much to get to St Lucia for Gareth’s birthday.

Anyone interested in the ARC progress can go online to www.world cruising club and go to ARC site for updates etc.

The daily routine has begun to have a pattern and usually by 10.00 all is ship shape and settled. Today however the guys concerns over the power situation were voiced out loud. The batteries have not been holding their charge and we were losing power very quickly after they had been charged. Gradually the charge they were holding was only coming up to around50%. Nigel Calder’s electrical manual was brought out and read fortunately not from cover to cover!) (John decided it was ‘awful complicated and detailed’ – eat your heart out JIm). However between Robert and himself they concluded that one of the batteries had to be ‘duff’. Fortunately on the daily ssb call in there was someone on Ocean Lady who was knowledgeable about such things. He confirmed that they would have to find the spoilt battery and disconnect it from the parallel circuit (are you getting all this Mrs D?) Now for those of you as befuddled by all this scientific stuff as moi – where does one start?

Picture if you will the main cabin upside down with tools, cushions, wires etc and two guys with their head in the guts of the boat on a swell of 2 metres, rocking and rolling for 2 -3 hours in high temperatures. Ah the joys of life on the ocean wave. Anyway they are just wonderful because they managed to do the job of isolating the battery and getting the others up to full steam and holding their charge. Just as well as the problems we would have encountered without power don’t bear thinking about with another 14 days or so to go.