Well, as I looked out of my cabin this morning, I saw pretty much what I’d been dreaming of. Sadly not a troupe of dancing girls on a flying visit, but winds going the right way. I could make some real progress!

I’ve since spent the day making as much headway as possible south, with a little bit of westerly progress thrown in for good measure. The best bit about it all is that, when I’ve not been rowing, all of my good work has not been being undone, a very welcome change from the past few days.

Nevertheless it has been quite hard work. I think that I’ve been subconsciously putting in that extra bit of effort to make use of the favourable winds, but I’m now shattered and my body is starting to feel the first signs of wear and tear. Nothing serious, but just a few aches, niggles and sore patches. There’ll no doubt be far worse to come!

This certainly hasn’t been the first time this request has been made, but just a few extra inches could make the whole thing a lot more pleasurable. As you can see from the picture (where I’m putting on my best grumpy face), I can’t quite sit up right in Pete’s cabin. This isn’t a great hardship, but sometimes it’d be nice to relax out of the wind with a cup of coffee. In fact, an armchair would be lovely. I guess I’ll just have to remember all this for next time!