2100hrs 15 Dec 2005 EDT 41’31”S 149’27”E Ref 654
Still headbutting out to sea south east of St Helen’s. Tedious but we expect a SW change sometime soon which – if it arrives – will push us up the track nicely from here. Dec 19 possible, 20th more likely the later we get the change. Hope to bypass Eden but will refuel if necessary.
Wow what a great feeling! I can see how it must seem odd to you to be back, but you must have the next job on your minds and when it’s all over it’ll be easier to put everything in perspective.
Great photos of your arrival and quayside consultations. All tough we’ve never met I would say that you two look fit and relaxed, like you’ve been out for an afternoons sail! Doesn’t Berri clean up well! of course you’ll be arriving in Sydney with a lovely clean boat! You realize that all this will be further evidence for any Capricorn One theorists who may believe that you’re writing this from the snug of the Crown and Anchor!
Looking at the photos….Is that a kiwiprop? I didn’t realize you had one. Earlier this year we lifted out ‘our’ (actually owned by Brunei Shell) WauquiezHood 38 for new antifouling and installation of a Kiwiprop. We used a two pack water soluble epoxy antifouling which you mix with copper filings. Because of all the grubscrews and moving parts on the nice shiny new Kiwiprop we decided not to put this stuff on it. Mistake no.1. Also after making a lovely job of applying the antifoul we omitted to read the part which says you have to lightly sand the bottom to expose the copper. Mistake no 2.
We then sailed the boat out of the KB river (freshwater) to our RBYC mooring in Bandar (seawater) and left it there for a couple of weeks. When we went to use it again we fired up the engine, slipped the mooring and had no boat speed. We limped back to the mooring, jumped over the side and lo and behold the whole boat was encrusted in razor sharp barnacles and the kiwiprop wouldn’t budge.
Since then we have had a diver clean the bottom each month but we’re still not impressed with the 4.2 knots we get from the kiwiprop. We will have to reset the pitch I think. Presently under investigation.
Also what to do about the antifoul. We will have to use some more conventional antifoul I suppose. But how do you keep the varmints out of the moving parts? Maybe a Kiwiprop on a mooring in a very fertile marine environment is not a good idea. Any suggestions?
This weekend we sail back to the KB river to keep it nearer to home for a few months and in the freshwater all the nasties should drop off. Any suggestions?
Paul – Kiwiprop it is and fantastic bit of kit. Sensitive to pitch as you seem to have worked out. I don’t bother about the moving parts – just daub it with self ablating soft Devoe. The s/s reverse rollers will always be exposed – nothing you can do about them – but the rest of it seems to cope. You could try spray on lanoline (Lanocote?) mixed with chili powder – supposed to work – Kevvo’s paddle had lanoline on it and stayed free of barnacles except in a couple of places where it must have been rubbed off. They say it goes on best if you wait until the object has been heated by the sun.
From Kristen C.
G’Day and please allow me to add my congratulations to y’all. You do deserve the mass of good wishes. I was sitting in a deposition on Monday thinking about why we are all so intrigued and inspired by your journey.
I think that the biggest reason is that you’ve demonstrated one watch at a time that it is possible to achieve something really big. And, you’ve let us all be virtual flies on the wall during those watches. You’ve reached your goal with will and perserverance, not superhuman ability or by throwing money at the problem. You’ve shown us all that if we want to do so, we can work towards something really big. At the same time, your perserverance is indeed admirable
And personally, I’m nostalgic about my chance to come north to Sydney on Berri–thank you again for that opportunity. Enjoy the full moon.
It’s a birthday moon for me but I’ll watch it here and think of you all.
Happy birthday Kris – and thanks for beaut note – The Grand Theory of Gradual Incrementalism! just about sums it up for me. Will write when things subside and I can think and do it justice.
Thanks Sarah.
From Madeleine
It does not seem so long ago that I sat with you in your mother’s sitting room and you told me all about your planned venture and now you are almost there! Congratualtions on completing the loop – it has been such fun (sometimes worrying) following your log and taking in the ups and the downs. You were always so honest and open with all the emotions that transpired; Like the rest of the world, I will miss the daily log on to the berrimilla website. Aunty Lilian will miss it too although I know she is very relieved that you are home. When you were in the middle of those storms in the Southern Ocean we were both anxious and checking the website often.
Good luck with the S2H race but before that I hope you enjoy a very Happy relaxing Christmas with the family! You have earned it!
We are looking forward to your book and will certainly cheer you on in the London Marathon next year. Don’t think we will be running with you though! You are quite amazing to be thinking of the London Marathon in the middle of the Southern Ocean.
With lots of love
Hi Madeleine – I remember it well!
From David N.
I am in southern Tasmania (Hobart) and the Berri has been in the local rag. The article was interesting but it gave very little info re the boat (not even its length!). Through a reference in the article I have discovered your web page. VERY interesting. As a sailor myself I am interested in this fine little boat. But I can’t find a photo(s) of it other than a couple linked to the Fastnet page taken with a mobile phone camera.
Are there any photos in the web page giving a good perspective of the boat internally and/or externally? If not have you any than may be e-mailed? [ed: done]
David – best photo is in ‘preparations’ doc on website.
And thanks as always to everyone else who has written to congratulate us, send us poems and generally pass on their good wishes. We loves yez all!
The logs ramblings can be cryptic, so we have added: