Berenice doesn’t sail happily downwind particularly in light airs. The main boom is easily affected by heel and the threat of an involuntary gybe is always here. So, we have set up preventers for all 3 booms (mizzen, main and staysail). This makes gybing (intentional) a rather protracted affair.

Therefore, we have been inclined to stay our course for as long as possible. Even though our gearbox problem has been down-rated through discussions with the folk in the UK, we still continued on a southerly course but no longer intend to visit Cape Verde Islands.

Yesterday, we gybed in the morning to take a more westerly route and hoped for the forecast shift in wind, which would take us straight to St Lucia on a broad reach. Unfortunately, the wind never became north-east and seemed stuck out of the east even going south occasionally. So, we have just gybed again.

Until now, we have seen no yachts for over 24 hours. Now we have sight of a yacht behind us. David has received the prize for best fisherman – so far and today, Ben received best ‘Mother’ award for his cleaning, hair styling and cooking skills. We are a veritable floating salon.

So, we are still waiting for the trade winds to truly kick in and we expect this on Sunday from the forecasts.

We are ready!