Tuesday

We continue on port towards the next waypoint which is above the Bampton reefs now 66 miles away. Overnight the wind was steady and went around towards the east so by this morning we were once again going almost dead downwind. It eased off so much I took the reef out of the main to maintain boat speed close to 6 knots but this afternoon have reefed again as the wind returned twoards the SE and increased to 16 again and gusting to 20. I sail cautiously I know - on one hand I am keen to makle good mileage yet on the other I dont want to push the goat hard and have something break. Which could be me even, becasse going hard for the boat makes it hard on me as well. Its amazing how I am sometimes caught unawares and thrown across the galley, hands flung forward to stop my head crashing into something. All the bony prominences are bruised - elbows, knees, ankles hips....And sleep becomes harder the more the boat crashes round...

Never-the-less our noon to noon run was 129 miles now at 4 pm we are making 5.5 knots. No dramas on board but a booby bird tried landing on the bimini yesterday. I nearly caught it in m y hands and wasn't going to allow him to land because once before when I did, the bird stayed a long time and then left the canvas covered in crap. The sky has mosly been cloudt today and Ive seen a few clouds t
trailing rain but none has landed on us so far. My exact position right now is 18degrees 20 minutes South, 159degrees 49 minutes East.

By morning we will have cleared the next waypoint and the halfway mark of the journey. So far so good but some strong winds are forecast for the end of the week . ON my latest grib they look to be possibly furher north than my track to Bundaberg so maybe I will miss them..

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