Maybe a bad choice to put the para anchor out yesterday. The winds were changeable but light. The time spent pulling 100m of wet fabric and rope back in would more usefully have been spent rowing. The winds are forecast to be light and changeable for the next week. Sometimes they will be helpful sometimes they will not. There are some good conditions around as shown by Flying Ferkins 50+ miles but they are localised and transient.

On more mundane matters, Simon is worried by his suntan. It is very good on his left hand side but fairly pasty on his right. He is considering rowing forwards for the final 1000 miles so that he does not silly on arrival in Mauritius.

Talking of looking silly, Simon's beard is getting long. He was thinking of braiding it and making a fishing net out of it, but as he does not eat fish (yet) that would be a waste. Instead, he has decided that in windy conditions he will lie on the deck with his chin pointing upwards and use it as a sail (don't tell Woodvale).

Simon had a sea-water shower yesterday. He is not confident enough about the water-maker to use fresh water, except for a rinse. Still, the Indian Ocean is a fresher place today !