0854hrs 01 Feb 2005 UTC 49’40”S 176’12”W Map Ref 42 1738nm
Still trying to work our way further south. We are out of the fog with a bit more wind and heading for somewhere below 50S. Still butting into current. Almost no seabirds today – perhaps too far from land for most of them, only the occasional black petrel around. Pete has started taking sights with the sextant and I’ll have to get on to it too – last used in anger in 1981 so out of practice and some work for me to do. Otherwise, routine day. I’m going to do a series on ‘Things that have worked’ and ‘..that haven’t’ in this and future episodes. See my earlier damage report after the knockdown for the list of big ones – take them as read.
Today’s ‘thing that has worked’ is this application. Sailmail is great – nothing spectacular but robust and as you can all see, it delivers exactly what it says it will. There’s a link on the website. You need reasonably expensive gear to get the best out of it but worth it for anyone wanting basic effective email and weather information when far from land. Well managed and the system operators are accessible if needed. Dont know hoe well it will work when we get out of range of PentaComstat which runs it from Australia. The next base is Honolulu or Chile and their facilities are more limited.
and ‘…that hasn’t’ is my beard. I had been conscious of vague subliminal irritation especially when trying to sleep and when decked out in my party gear and finally traced it to the need to scratch the whiskers regularly. So – about three weeks worth came off a couple of days ago and the relief was immediate and satisfying. Had to take it off almost whisker by whisker with one of those el cheapo double bladed plastic razors that clogged with every millimetre of stroke. Tedious and took about an hour. There will be a ritual cleansing of the face every sunday henceforth. Pete still looking wild and grizzled.
The logs ramblings can be cryptic, so we have added: