North breeze - 25 knots from the SW
Air temp - 8 degrees

"Sal" and Tony reporting from the South Pole. Not really, it's just that cold that it seems like it.

We've had the staggers in the last 36 hours with progress slowed by not much breeze. We had to work into a 20-25 knot easterly yesterday morning, then it died out through the afternoon and last night we drifted in circles. At 2.00am this morning, a light sou-westerly arrived and has built nicely. Another few miles and we will be on the longitude of South West Cape ..... the first of the five Capes that I have to pass to the south of. I have 4600 nm to go now to Cape Horn, the second Cape to be rounded. We're getting down to 50 degrees S and we have to live thereabouts for the next 38-40 days.

There was a close encounter with a ship two nights ago - woke up, looked out the window and UH OH, LIGHTS!! I rushed up on deck, took some time to work out that it was headed in the same direction as "Sal" and had already passed us about 1.5 miles off whilst I was asleep! Yesterday afternoon we came across two very big Russian fishing vessels that work these waters. I spoke to one of them on VHF radio and I would say that my close encounter was with one of these two. Kevin and Frank have been a bit quiet since the ship incident, but they will come good. I'm currently reading Nelson Mandela's book ..... what an inspiration!

My current attire consists of thermal long johns, ski pants (and wet weather pants if needed), two thermal tops, a shirt, two bulky jackets (and wet weather jacket if needed). The head is adorned with not only a beanie, but a balaclava as well. Not a very pretty site but then again it isn't normally!! At bye-bye's time I climb in the rack and drag a sleeping bag over the top of everything. I must look like a beached whale in this get up. I'm still having fun, are you?

Take care,

Tony Mowbray