Position at 21.50 UTC: 008 degrees, 02 minutes north, 079 degrees, 16 minutes west
We left the picturesque islands at 10.00 today – with hindsight we should probably have made the break yesterday afternoon as the northerly wind arrived earlier than expected but we weren't ready (stowing away the dinghy and engine and making ready for sea takes time). Anyway we started well enough with a nice 5-hour spinnaker reach in flat water with hundreds of dolphins and even a Leatherback Turtle for company.
This passage is a tricky one because we have to cross the equator and pass through the area of doldrums – no wind and stifling heat. That's what we have just now, so we are motoring at our most economical speed, waiting for wind that's forecast to return to us this evening. It looks as though the wind will play hide and seek with us for the net few days so we just have to make the best of it; luckily there are a few boats a day ahead of us so we chat twice a day on the long-range SSB radio to see what kind of weather lies ahead.
Apart from overheating a bit, we're both well and are taking a relaxed attitude to what could be a rather frustrating 8 day passage to Galapagos. We'll update the blog with a quick progress report each day and put in our lat / long position. One of Graham's colleagues, Nigel, told us of a website where you can write them in and it'll pin-point our position on Google Earth. Unfortunately Graham has lost the email in a fit of inbox spring-cleaning – he thinks it's www.imap.com but if it isn't, hopefully Nigel will email us with the right one and we'll post it on the next blog.
Thanks to all who sent news of home over the past couple of days, it was good to hear from you.
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