FROM 2-13. Equator-Cape Town

Gyrous Jabber

Sometimes a simple message has the power to inspire.

Congratulations on crossing the line from all at Crosshaven Lifeboat. The
fabulous panorama you sent is now framed and hanging in all its glory in the
Ops room
stay safe
Jon Mathers
RNLI Lifeboat Sea Safety Officer
Crosshaven RNLI Lifeboat Station
Hugh Coveney Pier
Crosshaven
Co Cork.

Jon, Thanks! We remember you all with huge respect and affection. And, of course, think of you while we despatch every Proper Breakfast, as we’ve just done. Examiner permitting, we are looking forward to cracking a Murph or 800 with you one day in front of that panorama.

Idle speculation – I wonder if any of the water we are sailing through has touched Berri’s sides ever before. There’s an anticlockwise flow in the S. Atlantic so lets assume a circle of diameter 2000 miles, giving a circumference of about 6280 miles. Say an average flow of 1 knot, making the round trip roughly 6280 hours or about 262 days. Doesn’t seem long enough intuitively but that means in the 4 years or so since we were here last the gyre has gyrated about 5.6 times so we are about half a revolution out of phase. But that doesn’t take into account the voyage up the fishpond from the Falklands to Falmouth through that monster storm off Montevideo where we lost the liferaft. That storm is on the first blog too, (link
Izz Plizz?) and there’s an analysis forming the final chapter of the 6th edition of Heavy Weather Sailing by Peter Bruce, published a couple of years ago by Adlard Coles, London. Anyway, seems there’s at least a chance the old barge is shaking hands with old molecular friends again. Maybe we’ll find bits of the liferaft as well!

Malcom, which way does Jessica plan to go? Don’t remember Minerva Reef. And you’d better check my maths for the gyre!

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