Oct 19, 2005 - 1630hrs UTC

1630hrs 19 Oct 2005 UTC 40’28”S 009’15”E Ref 459

almost time for daily consultationA regular engagement with alcohol. One might say this whole epic is a Consultation with a bit of a sail round it. See also Conservation Mode; Linear and Parallel Methods of Consultation with dr gordonGordon’s Gin. 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!!. easing slightly outside – 45 – 50 have managed to pull in a 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. and 2 mailcalls – absolutely amazed at the generosity of all y’all who have sent us donations – have no words – me yet. thank you all . we will put it towards the  satcomc account and try to stay in touch all the way.. i’m assuming that you would rather not have your names in lights  on the website but i’m sure steve can organise a list if needed. am also in touch with sailmailafricaby satcom and we are trying to find the problem.

as for the rest – i think that we should be able to keep the batteries charged all the way, with or without the generator, which is still giving some charge. we would prefer to go tohobartif possible and that remains the principal aim.

From Malcom C

 Bit of info.  The radio call sign for V/I Marion Dufresne is FNIN, the ship’s MMSIMaritime Mobile Station Identity; used for radios with digital selective calling (DSC), as well as AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponders. It allows two vessels with radios that have this capability to exchange information about who they are and where they're going without need for voice contact . There is a unique numeric identifier for each user of AIS system. number (whatever that is) is 227235000.  This comes courtesy of P&O Marine Services, Hobart, who supply icegoing supply and oceanographic ships on contract to the Oz Govt.  Turns out David Vaudrey their Safety and Operations Manager was at CSIROCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation at same time as I was in the late 1970s, thought I recognised the name.  David also met you, Alex, a couple of years ago at the end of a S2HSydney-Hobart Race: often described as the most gruelling ocean race in the world, this annual race starts on 26th December from Sydney Harbour and ends in Hobart. The course is 628 nautical miles..  Still working on other info re Ile Amsterdam.

malcom, thanks for c/s and mmsiMaritime Mobile Station Identity; used for radios with digital selective calling (DSC), as well as AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponders. It allows two vessels with radios that have this capability to exchange information about who they are and where they're going without need for voice contact . There is a unique numeric identifier for each user of AIS system. – i know how to use it – all to do with new aisAutomatic Identification System. An automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services (VTS) for identifying and locating vessels. systems. ours is 503039300.

timj – thnks for ct info – we hope to avoid it but really useful if things go pearshaped. kind thought. diana, yer a gem.  terry and susie – fancy freckles it is kids – just where the sun shines..

and hi to everyone else who wrote – you have no idea how it helps to get your messages in this sort of nastiness.

it does have its compensations. have just spent half an hour wedged at galley eating cheese and ryvita and hilaryAlex’s partner and Katherine’s mother’s mum’s wonderful chutney and watching the waves crashing past – all rolling forwards at least twice as fast as us – but the birds – wow – the black topped guy with the splodges in particular – he’d come down close, facing into wind, wings spread just outside our niagara of a wash and run along the surface – little feet whirring, wings curved down, rounded face looking down. and the storm petrels look like little balls of black and white fluff as they jing and swerve and just flollop. the bigger petrels fly down the wavefronts into wind and do spectacular wingovers and race down the backs of the waves.

time to wake pete – he’d even sleep through a consultationA regular engagement with alcohol. One might say this whole epic is a Consultation with a bit of a sail round it. See also Conservation Mode; Linear and Parallel Methods of Consultation. we’re planning a special one for trafalgar day.