The wind veers further in the early hours of the morning and so I put the boat onto a broad reach to compensate. We continue to make good progress. The sky is cloudy and sometimes we're in fog.
At 1230 we recommence work on the engine. George tries all sorts of tricks to bleed what we assume to be air in the fuel lines and filters out of them.
We try running the electronic fuel pump independently without cranking the engine. We trying pumping it out with the engine's oil extractor pump. We try pouring diesel into the system at various junctures. We try blowing it out with the oil extractor pump and mouth. Nothing works.
Sometimes we get a dribble of fuel out of the fuel filters' bleed screws but every time we check the key parts of the fuel system, the CAV filter (water separator + filter) the main filter, the pipe connection to the fuel pump, we get the same result, no fuel only air.
It's as if there's no fuel in the tank to suck out, but we filled the tank in St John's and we've hardly used any of it. Perhaps it's all in the bilge!? No, we'd smell it.
Mid afternoon brings the most welcome diversion from our fight with the beast. A large pod of Pilot Whales overhauls from astern and stays with us for 3 hours or more. The pod grows in numbers and we estimate that at its largest there must be in excess of 100 pilot whales spread across both flanks and in front and behind us. It is the most incredible experience. We are both transfixed.
We call a halt to the battle around 2100 and have a late dinner. We continue to make reasonable progress overnight at around 5 knots.
Poor log keeping means I have to estimate the day's run again - a paltry 65 miles!
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