Communication at sea has always been of great importance. In the early days sail ships, as they met, used flag signals. New England whalers used islands in the Pacific as mail boxes. Any passing ship arriving to bunker fresh water, en route home, collected the mail from under a well known stone. The Galapagos was one "station".

Today things are slightly different sailing onboard the Caledonian Star in Antarctica, the Arctic or even in mid-Atlantic. On the bridge we have an excellent radio room managed by our radio officer, Sven Thorell.

Every day we can receive and send messages to the Lindblad offices in Seattle or New York or send faxes to the next port of call. All the guests can send and receive e-mails and faxes or make phone calls. With modern satellite systems ships can always be reached, a fact that gives everyone at home or onboard confidence.

Yes, far away out in the ocean you can still keep in touch with your family and friends at home and tell them about your adventures at sea. Of course you can also tell them to check the daily report from the voyage on the web-site with the latest news.

Today the Caledonian Star kept the course 76.3 o making for Las Palmas in the Canary Isles. After a busy lecture program during the week at sea our Expedition Leader announced, "Thank God, it's the weekend!"

In the morning we could learn more about voyages over the Atlantic as David Barnes talked about the Brendan voyage, made by an Irish monk about 800 AD from Ireland to North America. True or just fiction, we do not know, but explorer Tim Severin was able to build the same type of boat and make the voyage in 1976-77. He'll be joining the Caledonian Star this October, as she sails from Seville to Salvador, visiting the "Legendary Islands of the Atlantic".

After almost five days against the trade winds the wind started to drop by the evening. Everyone awaits the morning in the hope that we can fill the pool. Time for a swim?