Position.  6.979,-79.740 at 07:00 local 13:00 BST 16th May
ETA Galapagos at 5 knts 14:20 23rd May
Wind N 3 with thundery rain

Left Isla Las Perlas at 12:00 yesterday.  We did what we often did on holiday with Puilladobhrain – got up early and had an hour on the beach before we set off.  Mary picked shells and I roamed the extremities of the beach and palm fringes.  Been able to sail most of the time.  We have to get through the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) or doldrums before we get consistent winds.  This link should show where it is today.   http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tafb/surface_latest.pdf If not then http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/data/forecasts/marine/high_seas/east_pacific_2.txt will give it’s position in text form.

One of the extraordinary sites in the Gulf of Panama is rays jumping out of the water and doing one or two summersaults before splashing back in.  Every five minutes I saw one yesterday, some were just a boat length away.

David