May 04, 2005 – 2100hrs UTC

2100hrs 04 May 2005 UTC Map Ref 200

The ExaminerShe who asks awkward questions of the crew and tests them with difficult tasks. has arrived back in the bus shelterExplanation here. Her latest ploy is getting us to dodge tropical rainstorms. I was looking at an angry rain cloud earlier today – small, dark grey, thick, with spiky bits and visible rain falling from it and thinking that’s coming our way. 10 minutes later it was twice as big and really thick and ugly and in half an our the whole horizon was a mass of developing Cu-nim with angry rainsqualls, thick walls of rain ten miles across and moving our way. We tacked to miss the worst and really spent the afternoon dodging up the eastern edge of the nasties. Incredible haw fast it all develops. Very trying – and so hot! No shade – Berri is not fitted for the tropics and doesn’t have a sexy bimini cover and a sundeck so we swelter under whatever we can drape over ourselves. One ship – going south – seems we may be clearing the shipping lane at last.

The big rain clouds here seem to rotate clockwise still. ITCZInter Tropical Convergence ZoneInter Tropical Convergence Zone, also known as The Doldrums, also known as The DoldrumsInter Tropical Convergence ZoneInter Tropical Convergence Zone, also known as The Doldrums, also known as The Doldrums conditions and nothing’s predictable.

We are only able to head NW or NE for the time being – the indications from the gribWeather files. Graphics in Binary file: GRIB files associate a specific weather datum (eg wind velocity or atmospheric pressure) with a geographic position. Because the resulting file is a collection of these points they are extremely small and so ideal over slow links such as sailmail. file are that a dig NE out into the Atlantic towards the Cape Verdes would be a good tactic for the next few days. The NE tradesBands of NW and SW winds either side of the equator that blow with more or less constant speed and direction all year. are almost North – hardly any east in them so might be very difficult to go north from here.

Later – we are back on north – goody. There seems to be about a knot-- Speed: definition of speed at sea. One knot is one nautical mile per hour. The nautical mile is about 1.15 % longer than the "statute" mile used on land. A knot is about half a metre per second. -- A knot is also the result of winding a rope around itself or another rope to make a join or a loop . of current setting us west, as expected. Lovely calm evening, Venus high in the east, Sirius in the south west, Canopus and Pollux out there too. Glow from the setting sun still in the sky. I’m a bit weary – haven’t had a lot of sleep in the last 48 hours and it’s beginning to show. Get the irrits occasionally – not good. Still too hot to sleep during the day even with makeshift ventilation system and we’ve had a couple of busy nights.

Kris, sorry you missed Conor and thanks for thoughts on potential for a book. I agree with you – no one would buy it. I don’t see a report on the medicinal properties of Murphy1- The inventor of Murphy’s Law which states (in various ways) that if something can go wrong, it will. 2- Irish beer’s – where’s your sense of scientific experiment?

Brian and Jen in Dunedin – woohooa 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 Woooohoooa 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 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!! 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!!! 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!! 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!! 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!!! 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!! – still out there! Look for an older version of a Cav 27 – Kay Cottee’s boat. You probably need something a bit bigger than a 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 and anyway who’d sell you one these days? Tell me how Toastmasters goes – I’m interested in how you use the stuff.

Roger, thanks very much for contacting Don. I hope we can keep the mast up for another month. Leads to the obvious question, which I’m going to pursue in the UK – why don’t we use spectraSpectra™ : - a highly modified polyethylene fibre with many applications such as ropes and sails instead of s/s for all except the fore- and backstays? Perhaps Don would advise. Easy to replace, light, doesn’t need swaging, and just as strong.   Even the forestay, if no hanked sails and an aerial could be incorporated in a spactra backstay.

FenwickA friend and clearly a colourful character, thanks for the offer of your wages to help us get home. You’re on, buddy, so get to work!