Apr 18, 2005 - 11hrs UTC

1100hrs 18 Apr 2005 UTC Map Ref 173

Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose…Still in our shed in Fox StudiosConspiracy Theory: the epic is simply a mock-up-boat in Fox Studios. (See also Bus Shelter) – Based on the nutty idea that NASA never reached the Moon but faked the whole thing in the Hollywood studiosConspiracy Theory: the epic is simply a mock-up-boat in Fox StudiosConspiracy Theory: the epic is simply a mock-up-boat in Fox Studios. (See also Bus Shelter) – Based on the nutty idea that NASA never reached the Moon but faked the whole thing in the Hollywood studios. (See also Bus Shelter) – Based on the nutty idea that NASA never reached the Moon but faked the whole thing in the Hollywood studiosConspiracy Theory: the epic is simply a mock-up-boat in Fox Studios. (See also Bus Shelter) – Based on the nutty idea that NASA never reached the Moon but faked the whole thing in the Hollywood studios, Malcom – there’s a bus shelterExplanation here just outside the gate – and I forgot to add yaw into the gyrating cockpit – up to 60 degrees either side of intended course, perhaps, over the shorter period. To humour the unbelievers, we’re now off the Disneyland Space Mountain roller coaster and Pirates of the Caribbean rides and on a slowly rolling calm sea with no wind, lightning to the south, lovely moon. Chatty updates back on the agenda.

Another why is it so? question perhaps for the physicists: this evening the sun set behind a small cloud bank just above the horizon. All the usual spectacular colours plus radiating spokes of alternating shadow and light caused, presumably by the irregular shape of the cloudbank. Not uncommon, although these were vivid pink and orange. The odd thing was that these spokes did not continue to diverge as they passed overhead as you might expect, but seemed to converge to a point opposite the setting sun on the eastern horizon. I wasn’t able to follow individual bars continuously from setting sun to eastern horizon because they were not visible directly overhead but the effect to the east was a series of alternating white and grey spokes converging to a point. How does this happen? Is it some sort of refraction or just an illusion?

12 hours later – still oily calm – hot – water 28 degrees and really does feel like a warm bath. We’re burning a bit of diesel to try to get up into the bottom of the tradesBands of NW and SW winds either side of the equator that blow with more or less constant speed and direction all year.. No seabirds, one very big container ship yesterday, DinosDinoflagellates - Microscopic, (usually) unicellular, flagellated, often photosynthetic protists, commonly regarded as "algae". More here. in brilliant phosphorescent splendour last night in the calm. Flying fish around, not yet sacrificially motivated – give em time. Found a ziplok bag with 6 minties in it today, from some bygone age. They are soft to almost runny and I’m having a happy time unrolling the papers and scraping off the sticky mess. The new Berri taste sensation.

Newsless out here – unless we get it from all y’all – but assume that the ISSInternational Space Station 11 crew are now up with ISSInternational Space Station 10 in their aggregation of tin cans and chicken wire apartment block – with Italian cheese too (thanks Ben -good to hear you’re back in residence)- lucky buggers. We’ve still got kilos of Old Bitey from Hobart. And we still have some Hobart bacon – it has lasted way beyond expectations.

We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn last night. WOOOHOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOa primitive, exultant, gibbon-like call given out by an old geezerDictionaries define a geezer as an old person, generally an eccentric old man. Its origin likely in the word masquerader (colloquially, guiser) from Middle English gysar. Go figure, as the Americans say.; many variations as listed, in order of emphasis: Woohoo Woooohooo WOOOHOOO WOOOHOOO! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!. Progress is happening, but sooo slowly. Now sending some of these updates through Nova Scotia – XJN714, range about 4300 miles – just a little closer than Falmouth.