Luna Quest - Monday, 22nd February, 2016

Noon Position: 04.21S 34.47W

Daily run: 156 logged miles

All night we ran goose winged under full genoa and double reefed mainsail. A few minor squalls helped us on our way faster and we were clearly leaving the squally weather band behind. During the night we adjusted the Hydrovane a couple of times to round the northeast point of Brazil and this morning under twin foresails we have been able to lay our course northwest to take us along the northeast coast of South America. We are aiming for a good offing to avoid any debris from the Amazon and Para rivers and benefit from the Guiana current that runs with us along the coast.

The sun is out today in full, the cockpit bimini is up and the kettle on for a cup of coffee. The majority of the fleet have gone to Fernando de Noronha to explore the island, but the anchorage is swelly and wet. There are no services for boats. It is a holiday resort for beach lovers. We do not carry enough water to sojourn idly on our 2,500 mile leg to Grenada and we need not call into Fortaleza to clear out of Brazil either. Makena, a 62-ft lagoon catamaran, who is already there, reported that we are not missing much by skipping Fernando de Noronha.

Eric