Heading towards the Southern hemisphere...

Tuesday 12th February

Hello to you all from the eastern Pacific.

Up at 7 AM and I got the generator pump repairs finished and the unit running again by 8. Thank goodness I finished before the heat really builds up, although I think the 80 to 90% humidity is worse. Lovely brekkie from Val as a reward - bacon, eggs and toast, yummy although never eaten at home. We are still lacking any real wind and are motor sailing all day and night. This afternoon it began raining and some wind. I shut down the engine for about an hour, but we were too slow and so back on with the donkey. We do have a deadline in Quito so needs must. The rain was not heavy, but really wetting drizzle, thank goodness for the bimini and spray hood. They keep a lot of the cockpit dry. Val made a lovely chicken pieces dinner with creamed potato, spinach and peas. That would have gone down well in the Atlantic! Just as we were 1/2 way through JR caught a lovely blue fin tuna. Its now in the fish bin, dead of Vodka poisoning and ready to be filletted by Rob. Lunch tomorrow?

We are now about 110 miles north of the Equator and about 80 miles west of the Colombia/ecuador border and saw a small fishing boat about a mile away, just before dark. Also this morning we had a pod of about 20 dolphins around us but they were on business and didn't stay around to play. The rain has stopped and so its getting warmer again- the rain always cools down the air due to falling from cooler altitudes. It also flattens down the sea. Not that it has been rough at all. Glassy smooth this morning. there is a small moon somewhere up above, but its too cloudy to see it, so a very dark night tonight. The jibs are rolled away and the main is really only acting as a damper to any rolling motion. Our arrival in La Libertad looks to be around dawn on Thursday, so we will tie up, clean up and look at the area. Then on Friday we have all decided to head to Guayaquill to look around and stay the night, before flying to Quito to meet up with Fiona & David in the airport, and then to the Marriott hotel for 4 nights (and Val's birthday party).

Going off to sleep now as I am on the 1 to 4 watch tonight.