It's an irony. Here we are, the boat in neutral as we brew up our morning tea, drifting somewhere in the western Atlantic level with Norfolk, Virginia, and we're actually going faster without any power than when we were thrashing painfully across the Caribbean from Panama to Jamaica. With the combination of a following sea and the Gulf Stream, we're notching up over 5 knots without any effort whatsoever.

We've had to make arrangements to get our radar replaced when we arrive in Halifax. It actually packed up during the run through extraordinarily bad conditions between Panama and Jamaica, a consequence of what I suppose one might call extended wear and tear. We've been running without it ever since, which if nothing else proves an interesting alternative way to improve your night vision. In the meantime, we're keeping our fingers crossed we don't run into any fog.

Today is a day where lethargy appears to have crept in big time. Maybe it's because we're heading further north, and are therefore suffering from latitude sickness. But there's also the realisation that we're now not that far from the end of this epic journey, and our thoughts are turning to the grim reality of having to go straight back to work once we get home - one of the inevitable consequences of not having earned a cent for nearly four months.

A short break with a hefty dose of remedial therapy might perhaps have been better...

Clive Tully

Copyright Clive Tully ©2002
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