I enjoyed a very good sleep last night, the radar alarm did not go off once, not even the device that detects ships at more than 40 nautical miles! Still, I had to go outside six times only to correct our course a little bit. The high swell has weakened today and the wind is now blowing at a better angle from astern, so Guppy is going under full sails again. Sadly the sun faded earlier today just to be replaced by grey and boring rainy clouds unwilling to do their work but for a few annoying light showers that are quite useless for catching water… As usual every day I enjoyed talking on the SSB radio with other sailors in Tahiti or Tonga, and talking with Henk who in his small sailboat is some 100 nautical miles behind me… Meanwhile I started reading a new book, ‘The long way’ by Bernard Moitessier, who competed in a non-stop around the world sailing race [the so called ‘Golden Globe Race’ 1968 – 1969], but after rounding the globe, he decided to abandon the race and sail directly to Tahiti. It was given to me by someone who thinks that this was the right book for me, maybe believing I might do the same… Still 115 nautical miles left to go to Port Vila, Vanuatu, so chances that I am to arrive by daylight are getting better. However, it’s unlikely that I will do all the clearance procedures this weekend because I would have to pay some high extra charges, so I will wait until Monday before I go ashore. But Guppy and I are very good friends so this should be fine…

Laura