Sailing around the world is easy, so long as you go the right way around. Downwind is lovely, the wind feels lighter, the sun is warmer, the boat is more comfortable, the miles fly-by as song birds come to rest in your rigging like something out of Snow White.

Motoring upwind, back into the wind, waves and current is not like that, not at all. Slam, slam, slam as the boat falls off the back of waves into the next one. Grrrr, grrr…grr… goes the engine, working nonstop at higher than normal revs just to make 4 knots of progress. What is 4 knots? A brisk walk. Seriously, we could walk back faster than this. Also walking wouldn’t cost me hundreds of dollars in fuel.

Simple tasks like sleeping, eating, moving around the boat become much more difficult and annoying. A little shout from Teo earlier summarized it perfectly “Argh! I am so DONE with these waves!”

But… between those background frustrations there are some nice things. Warm banana pancakes with peanut butter and syrup for lunch. Teo spotting a hammer head shark which we followed for a while as he glided gracefully at the surface. E-mails of encouragement for family, friend and other sailors from past and present, it’s nice to hear from you! Watching Teo and Tina relaxing on the sofa together, making posters for a new business scheme he had while she braided his hair. Oh and a very nice cuddle from my son this morning, neither of us fancying getting up just yet.

We should be back in Panama in the morning, just in time for tea and medals.