Jan 31, 2005 - 2046hrs UTC

2046hrs 31 Jan 2005 UTC timeCo-ordinated Univeral Time, formerly Greenwich Mean Time. UTC (sometimes known as Zulu time) uses precise atomic clocks, shortwave time signals and satellites to ensure it remains a totally reliable and accurate standard for scientific and navigational purposes. 49’33”S 177’16”W Map Ref 40 1696nm 9C

More than half way to Alpha, 1680 miles direct from Sydney and about 3600 to the Horn, so some noticeable progress. HilaryAlex’s partner and Katherine’s mother says Antipodes Islands so named because they are diametrically opposite Greenwich so we’ve got a smidgin less than half the world to go to get to half way. That’s a lot of water. HFHigh Frequency – usually refers to HF radio which is long range digital radio that Berrimilla used to send all but a few of the logs on both circumnavigations. The radio was connected via a Pactor 3 digital modem to Alex’s laptop and used the Sailmail software application called Airmail to send emails and pull in emails, weather and GRIB files. Airmail also supports Iridium satellite telephone messaging and Alex used this as backup when the HF radio died approaching England. radio propagationIn the logs, this refers to the radiation of signal energy and is customarily qualified by the words abysmal, ratshit or lousy out here is dismal at the mo so this may not get sent for some time. Back in thick fog with the wind dropping. Everything damp and the sails dripping water. Glad we don’t yet have to collect it and make tea with it, although we are doing just that as I write to see what the water tastes like (worse than desalinated…). We might describe the process later. Part of the weekly routine is to dip the water tank – we only use tank water to make tea and coffee and cordial and so far we have used about a quarter of the tank, with a further 30+ litres in reserve in a container and bottles. The desalinator is working but the membrane must be a bit tired – the water is just noticeably salty, but not as bad as some Australian bore water and better than the water that is available for much of the world. We use it for cooking, washing up, teeth cleaning, the final rinse of clothes washed in salt water (yes, we do…) and anything else where salt water won’t work. Everything else gets salt water. Today will be a day for catch-up jobs like restocking ready use bins, moving the desalinated water container so it doesnt drip on Pete’s face, washing sox and other smellies. The bootferals just hate clean sox but I cant threaten them with sunlight today. And the vegie garden is sprouting.

Hi Tori, I remember; Hi Vivien, glad you’re out there; Hi Necola, Hi Sandi, Hi Michelle. Shockers, you still on supine? And it’s not anarchy, just democracy with attitude.