1436hrs 28 Jan 2005.(SYD time) 47’41”S 172’31”E. Map Ref 31 1261nm
It seems we may be able to wave goodbye to NZ. We are running along 4740S waiting for Sarau to catch up. I think it will take them about 22-24 hours if conditions hold. Deep blue water with sparkling whitecaps, bright sunshine, waves about 1 metre on top of maybe two metre swells, 25 kts true, so about 18 apparent, poled out cutdown #1 and a reef in the main. Just had the perfect lunch – olives, bread, cheese and a drop of chateau cardboard to keep the barnacles away from the gnashing hardware. Not sure of the current taxonomy for species of chateau cardboard – when I was just a younger and if possible much stupider idiot who thought he could drink, drive, fly and generally make hay all at once, cardboard red was plonk and white was screech. We don’t have any screech on board, unless pete has a secret stash somewhere. He’s asleep plugged into Van Morrison, I think. Waypoint alpha about 914 miles east so about 7 days if it continues.
Just tested my stone age satellite phone – thanks, Ian, if you’re out there – and we have backup communications if needed. On the HF radio, we can hear PentaComstat on the long range skeds, but Derek cant hear us. We are talking to Taupo Maritime every morning.
And we have started the Berrimilla vegie garden with a tray of cress – currently in a dogbowl in the loo – does anyone remember whether it should be kept in the dark or just in the shade? Using desalinated water to water it – perhaps bereft of essential minerals?
An addition to the knockdown damage report: the plastic aerofoil on Stainless Kevvo the windvane self steering was bent in half. This normally sits in a rotating bracket about two metres above the water over the transom. We are not sure wether it was bent on the downward or upward part of the journey and difficult to establish because we don’t remember where it was set.