Another slow day I am afraid, we managed 30NM yesterday which is a mile more than our worst this leg so we are not down and out by any means. It's staggering to think that over the last nine days we have averaged 84NM a day or 3.5knts. We have 4037Nm to go.

Our hope of being on a roll today has been dashed in that we spent a lot of our time drifting with a very light southerly that only just filled the light sails. By lunchtime it died off and we could only just maintain steerage way as fog enveloped us in its cold and clammy embrace. Oddly enough this seemed to bring the surface of the sea to life with capsules, a bit like a long jelly bean floating by, new life developing its way toward a break out into the world. I also saw a small bug which could be described as a cross between a water beetle and a turtle swimming about. It was the size of a penny and I am sure would have made a good meal for one of the small birds that we see continually dipping the surface. On a grander scale Mark had a couple of large whales grace his watch.

Our port compass light has given up the ghost and I spent a couple of hours going through the circuit to eventually find it was a duff bulb. The devious thing would light up for a bit before going out and I didn't want to take it apart until it was absolutely clear that that was the problem. After an absorbing fiddle we came to the conclusion that it was for the bin and I am going to rig up a light that shines on the compass from under the bench seat. I also did a bit of whittling with a whittling tool that my Mum gave me for my birthday and really enjoyed it. One of the blocks now has Spirit of Mystery on it, bit wavy but it will get better with time I am sure.

We've just had a nice meal of Chicken Sauti, the fog has cleared, we have the big lug up again and although the wind is on the nose we are making ground. Tonight we will crack 4000NM to go and I can tell you that it has been one of the most elusive mile stones to date. The forecast is to have it back through the night so that we end up on the port tack, with 10knts and rising from the NNE to N and we can't wait to get the bit between our teeth.

Four seems to be a common number about at the moment for it is Mel's FFFFFFFThirtith birthday. So Happy Birthday from all on board the good ship Spirit of Mystery Mel and if anyone wants to know her real age, go and see Stubbles.

Cheers Pete

What two words did James Brown use to define the word Cool - James Brown? Such a cool answer and yes you've guessed it we have been playing Trivial Pursuit on deck in the sun with the tiller lashed and sails down. Sundays are always nice in that it's Pancake Day and present day which is always special for Eliot for it brings a bit of home in a package, and Trivial Pursuit was one of his presents from a few weeks ago. It's also our day for calling home and we have just had a chat which is such a weekly treat and a milestone that we look forward to. We used to call in the evening but now that we are four hours ahead of GMT we have just started to call mid-afternoon. All is well and Tracey is really looking forward to a dose of sun in Melbourne where I hear they are having a heat wave.

My last watch was really pleasant for I spent it sewing the secret weapon which now needs about an hour's more work to be done on it. Albatross were wheeling about and there was the smell of baking bread wafting up through the hatch thanks to Mark's efforts. The good news is that the forecast shows about five days of really good wind coming in overnight so we can enjoy today's make and mend in the knowledge that miles are to be had. It will be really interesting to see where we are when we next get the pancake pans out. A handful of days from today to half way would be nice if we can do it.

An additional routine to the grand scheme of things is that we call Falcon GT on the hour, every hour during daylight hours. We know they are in the vicinity as they overhaul us and the hope is that we will be able to have a chat or even see each other. I was convinced I saw their mast head light last night and stormed below for the binoculars only to find that it was a star that had just climbed above the horizon. If we do see them they will be the first vessel we will have seen since we cleared the Agulhas Plateau. I guess shipping passes further south as they chase down the great circle route.

Cheers Pete

Eureka; we have actually hit a mile stone in that we have crossed 50 degrees east which is our quarter way mark on this trip. I have to say it has been a long time coming, certainly a lot longer than we expected for we should have had much more wind and better progress down here than we have.

I guess things will change but at the moment it looks very stable with a day of bright sunshine just keeping the chill off and a steady barometer. It's amazing to think that we actually made better progress during the doldrums so we do need a change or we will be running way over schedule. I have no doubt that it will change but in the meantime we are reviewing whether stopping in St Paul is a realistic option.

I think the cold is because we have crossed some kind of convergence zone in that the sea is really very cold now. Below it's like living in a garage during the winter and we have noticed a sharp drop in the number of birds today. I have no idea but feel that this may well have some bearing on it.

'Talisker time' tonight, 50 degrees east might not look much on the chart but it has been hard earned and we are going to make the most of it.

Cheers Pete

'I luv Gore-Tex me'; Last night was miserable in that it was freezing cold and we had a fine drizzle that gets in everywhere. Well it does if you're not dressed in Gore-Tex for it is the most amazing stuff and I have had a close relationship with it for many years. I first came across it in the Marines when it was on trail and remember thinking that there is no way cloth can be both breathable and completely waterproof and yet it was. Quite extraordinary and I have no doubt that it has saved many lives over the years, often without people realizing it. It has certainly upped performance right across just about every sport.

Those were early days and Gore-Tex fabric although basically the same in principle is now quite different thanks to its continued development. A development curve that I have had the pleasure of benefiting from thanks to a lifetime of sailing, walking and of course my trips to the North Pole. Indeed, I have got to know the company really quite well and for me it is the team that really stands out as they are a joy to work with. A classic example was the deck opening up in Cape Town and my concern for crew welfare below and the need for a dry sleeping bag. Try as I might I couldn't find Gore-Tex bivvy bags in the timescale so reverted to contacting Andy Warrender who put the word out. There were some new bivvy Bags on trail with the US Marines which would be coming in from the field in a day or so. A chain of people held together by the enthusiasm that can only be found in Gore had them washed and shipped down in time for our departure. They are fantastic and have saved the day, particularly for Andy who has a persistent drip above his bunk. Cheers Guys.

If the fabric is one thing then what you do with it is another and that is where Musto comes into the frame. I first met Keith Musto at the start of the 1988 Single Handed Transatlantic when I was about to take on the North Atlantic on a 26ft Firebird catamaran, and would spend the trip sleeping on deck a couple of feet above the water. I had trailed all the manufacturers and had hoped to use Musto for this one but the budget had run out. As I was working on the boat Tracey was keeping well wishers at bay and even today still blushes at asking Keith what he did. It was early days and we had a lot to learn but Keith being the gentleman he is just looked at my gear, turned round and came back with a completely new set of Musto Ocean. It was such a generous gesture for the Marina was full of glitzy professionals who were clamoring for his attention. That passage had me hooked and I have been a fan ever since.

Not because of what I wore but because of what they became thanks to Musto's insatiable appetite for development that takes them way beyond the competition. It feels good to have played a small part in this process for I have always competed in prototype equipment and fed back our thoughts, indeed, I wore the first HPX Suit into the Southern Ocean during the British Steel Challenge. During Team Philips we spent time at Dera in wind tunnels and cold chambers working on cut and materials. Fascinating stuff and the result, off the shelf, is keeping us warm, dry and efficient out here. How's it holding up; I threw it into the washing machine in Cape Town and you would think I had just bought it. So here's to Gore-Tex and Musto who have us covered right down to our boots!

As you can see I am in a reflective mood today for there was been a lot of time to allow the mind to wander as we drifted into the night. To offer a sense of this I relieved Mark early this morning to find he was delighted to have managed four miles in two hours. The good news is that the wind soon picked up a bit and as hoped we are able to carry the big lug and are making about four knots in the right direction. Our last twenty four hours produced 67NM with 4141NM to go.

Cheers Pete