After a huge deluge during the night, accompanied by thunder so loud it shakes the boat, we're now well on our way to Wilmington, cutting straight across from the southern tip of Florida to North Carolina. As we pass Cape Canaveral, eyes strain skywards for signs of shuttle launches. Sadly the skies are booster-free today, so all we can do is concentrate on what's ahead of us, where another big pile of clouds appears to be building up. So far, any weather we've had has been an annoyance rather than a hindrance, and we're making good progress, helped along by the Gulf Stream.

When funds were really tight, we'd said we would make our final decision as to whether or not we could carry on when we reached Fort Lauderdale. It was the absolute limit our funds would take us, and it was also a logical place to stop. Fort Lauderdale is the boating capital of the United States, and if it had come to it, it would have been the best place to leave the boat in order to sell it. Secondly, flights back to the UK from here are inexpensive - when money was at its tightest, the very least we could guarantee ourselves was enough to fly the three of us home.

Fortunately we have now achieved the minimum funding to complete the circumnavigation, thanks to our many supporters around the world, and the match-funding generously provided by Cardiff County Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority. But it was touch and go for quite a while.

We're very grateful to everyone for their support. It may just be the three of us on one little yellow boat, but we're also very conscious of the wider appeal of the project. Many thousands of people follow our progress every day - from the schools who use us as a living example of geography in action, to those who simply derive pleasure from following a great adventure.

Clive Tully

Copyright Clive Tully ©2002
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