Jan 31, 2006 - 0600hrs EDT

0600hrs 31 Jan 2006 EDT

It has been a hectic month and I’ve been neglecting the website – my apologies. It is very difficult to believe that any one would be interested in the humdrum but it seems there are some of you out there who want me to drone on so here goes.

The party was terrific (photos here) – thanks to everyone who came along. We got there at 1000 to get the table set up and some beer on ice and the first partygoers were already there waiting for us. Living in Sydney is thirsty work! As intended, it went all day and people arrived and left as they liked. We had a steady mass of about 40 people around the tree all day but if you were to have checked the faces every hour or so, about half of them would have changed. We had the trophies on the table plus lots of dried food packs and other bits and pieces – scrap books of press clippings, Pete’s photos, the BrolgaBerrimilla is a Brolga 33 designed by Peter JoubertJoubert, Peter: mechnical engineer, specialising in fluid mechanics, now retired. Highly respected sailor and designer of the Brolga and other yachts; many mentions but see 115; Pete’s meeting with him, 122. For specs, see here Register – in which we now have details of 16 Brolgas and a Cape Barren Goose (and if you are its owner and reading this, you didn’t leave us any contact details – please rectify!). We know of 7 more Brolgas but have no owner’s name or any other details.

Robin brought us a lovely hanging mobile with messages for Berri from all the other RANSARoyal Australian Navy Sailing Association; a sailing club located in Sydney, Australia. boats and even some CYCCruising Yacht Club of Australia ones. Thanks Robin.

And there were lots of people who are not sailors but were interested in the logs or the journey, plus some old friends with AdastraAdastra Aerial Surveys, Australia - www.adastra.adastron.com connections.

Doug brought us copies of Henry KnightHenry Knight died of starvation on the emigrant ship Java (from England to Australia) and was buried at sea on the 6th Feb 1853 in the S Atlantic - 28.35 S, 26.09 W. On the way home from Falmouth (1st circumnavigation) Berrimilla passed about 100 miles to the north and sent him some chocolate in a paper boat. Henry's sister Susan died in sight of Cape Town and was buried at sea 8 miles SE of the lighthouse. We waved to her on the 2ncircumnavigation from very much closer. More here ’s diary of the voyage of the Java in 1853 – harrowing to read and we were really glad that we said Hi to young Henry on the way past.

We tidied up and left the park at about 1830 – tired and happy.

I now have to go and bring Berri into the pond to have her surveyed so that I can use her commercially under dispensation. I will write more this evening.

For the marathon runners- if I ever needed some incentive to get out there and bash the tarmac, look at this photo. My belly has almost the same girth as our circumnavigation – panic – I need my towel – there’s no instant transmogrifier in real life and that looks like at least 5000 k’s worth. Erk!