We left St. Helena yesterday just before noon. We really enjoyed ourselves there, we are glad we had a chance to see it before the airport went in. There is something special about going to a place that is only accessible by sea. The winds were fluky when we left, we were in the lee of the island for about 3 hours.  We have light winds but are able to fly the spinnaker so we are making over 4 knots most of the time. We saw the big dipper very clearly last night, that is the first time in a long while.  The skies were so cloudy on our way from Namibia to St. Helena that we were never able to pick it out.  There was no moon at all so it made for a dark night and the big dipper was a welcome companion in the wee hours.
Feb 14.  Happy Valentines Day to all you sweethearts out there.  Barry managed to smuggle a package of mini-chocolate bars onboard and a necklace made from St. Helena clay onboard to mark the occasion, what a sweetie. He got a package of pistachios that I have been hoarding for a special day.  We are experiencing super trade wind sailing and are making really good time.  The sliver of a new moon made a welcome appearance last night.  We are in radio contact with four other boats daily, it is great to exchange news with others in the same situation.