[password] minta12
[position] 03 14.541N 040 48.339W
[weather] 10-20 kt NE, a clear starry night and morning with clouds developing with passing showers as the day progresses
[status] We?ve broken free of the ITCZ!! The dark heavy rain filled clouds have disappeared and we are seeing more clear skies. The temperature is still quite warm but it's not as humid. The NE breeze has filled in and we have been able to turn off the engine. We motored about 36 hours to get through the light airs.

The bearing on our rhumb line from Fernando to Barbados is about 300T. We have been aiming about 10-15 degrees above the rhumb line in an effort to keep a good angle on the breeze and miss some adverse current up ahead. The wind is forecast to become more easterly in a few days and then may go northerly as we approach Barbados. The last thing we want is to be bashing our way in the last few miles so will try to approach from the East.

It?s been quite some time since we have sailed with the wind forward of the beam. The ride is a bit bouncier than what we have become accustomed to and there?s splash on the deck.Thankfully there isn?t too much swell and the wind isn?t real strong. We haven?t collected any dead flying fish for days but this morning we picked up a half dozen and there are numerous patches of scales left behind from ones that bounced off. Such beautiful creatures to watch soaring above the waves, it's sad to think of them bashing their little noggins on our hull in the middle of the night.

We are seeing more shipping with at least two or three per day showing up on our AIS. The latest cargo ship ?Linda Hope? enroute to ?TR ERE?? came within a mile of us. AIS is a wonderful tool which tells us precisely how far away the ship is, its course and how close it will come. Lots of good info in case evasive action is needed. After not seeing any other sail boats, we had two come within a few miles of us at the same time. One called ?Lone Star? (from Texas, of course) we had met at St Helena.

Today we are sailing through large masses of sea weed. Not sure whether this seaweed just naturally drifts around the ocean or whether it has washed out from the Amazon which is about 500 miles away.

1265 miles to Barbados

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