A whale, soggy feet and a mill pond as another day passes on the Atlantic

Well the weather has changed again and now it seems like we are sitting in the most still of mill ponds. No winds, waves or currents. The sun is blinding hot, and as our only progress is oar power it feels like very hard work. We're bearing on a more southerly course than south west in the hunt for those elusive trade winds. Every mile counts and gets us closer to Antigua!...

For the last week or so we have been thinking far more about our actual arrival date. We've made more calculations than a mathematics PhD student. Since we barely have a maths O level between us it’s some undertaking. So it was easier to doubt our maths than accept the truth that our ETA in Antigua is at least 8 - 10 days later than expected. This gives me a gut-wrenching feeling as it means my dear friends Karen & Duncan (the people not the ducks!!) will have already been & gone by then! Devastated! It also means I won't be able to present my work at the WORLD meeting in Las Vegas on the 14th Feb (you better enjoy it out there for me Niamh & Michelle, hit that Elvis chapel in style!!). The question now remains whether we'll make it back in time for Jo Bardoe's Valentine's ball ... we're trying!

Now I've accepted the new dates I'm ok(ish) about it, and console myself in the increased weight loss opportunity!! Poor Herdip on the other hand has no more weight to loose. When she stands sideways these days she momentarily disappears. She's in serious needs of pizzas Ian!!! Now is probably not a good time to admit that on Boxing Day, when we were increasingly frustrated by our lack of progress, we spent a good couple of hours feeding Nemo and his friends with a months supply of freeze dried food! umm!

And so we'll continue unanimous in the feeling that putting wet socks on is the worst feeling ever, no matter if it's sweat, condensation, sea water or rain water and that blowing your nose post a cry with a baby wipe is just wrong, as it still leaves your nose wet! Such things we would have never known if we hadn't experienced this amazing (ad)venture ;))

We were also visited by a whale two days ago. It was MASSIVE and stayed with us for a good 15 - 20 minutes. I'm afraid that we were not as brave as Billy (Gquma) and didn't jump in the water for better photo opportunities, but it was certainly of lives treasured viewing.

Happy Birthday Dad, from Herdip.