Today is indeed a day for celebration, so Wayne and I each had a chocolate pudding and TWO liquorice sweets each!

We have had some potentially expedition terminating problems, such as batteries not charging due to 80% of our journey being under cloud cover, and therefore not being able to use our water maker (which uses a lot of charge); then resorting to our emergency hand pump, which literally exploded, leaving us with only nine liters of water with 2000kms to go! But the tides are turning!

We have spent anxious nights with all our electronics and navigation systems on total shut-down, in the hope of getting our batteries up. Eating only foods that don’t need water and rationing ourselves to only 500 ml (with electrolytes) each per day, we are finally reaping the dividends! We pumped 8 liters yesterday with almost zero depletion on batteries and 10 liters today with little effect on the charge!

We are now stock-pilling water at the rate of 4 liters a day for when we reach the Brazillian coast, as we will still have approximately 6 days of coastline south towards Rio. This is a potentially dangerous coastline with often changing weather systems and lots of shipping, which means chart plotter, navigation lights and AIS on at all times. So more water now (hopefully!) to save batteries for our electronics.

This good news is further enhanced by a strong easterly wind behind us which is doubling our rowing speed!

But, as they say, ‘it ain’t over till the fat lady sings’, and, whilst we try and remain positive, anything can happen.

I occasionally sketch to get my mind off negatives so, in honor of Raymond, our barnacle-cleaning remora, I sketched a ‘before and after meal’ of our pal.

Raymond has been with us for close in three weeks now and it is the highlight of my day to harness up and feed him! He comes straight up to me and pecks my fingers before I can begin popping him a piece of well-chewed salami! Sooo cool!

I am dedicating the picture to Wayne’s beautiful daughter, Willow…who also loves Raymond!

Onwards ho!