Mar 27, 2005 - 2230hrs UTC

2230hrs 27 Mar 2005 UTC Map Ref 129

It is nice to be in the lee of a wall like the Andes, although today we are in thick mist, with rain and low cloud. No chance to see the ISSInternational Space Station, sadly. These are convergence ZoneInter Tropical Convergence Zone, also known as The Doldrums conditions, but softer than across the wall. We are still getting the Chilean weather fax, but it seems the Brazilians may have stopped their service. We have over 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 against us, as expected, but there’s no easy way to predict where it will be so we just have to slog into it. We’re both looking forward to getting back above 40S – seems like a long time ago when we crossed going south – Dec 28 or 29,perhaps.

LeroyLeroy ChiaoLeroy Chiao: International Space Station Commander, Expedition 10, at time Berrimilla first made contact. Bio here.: International Space Station Commander, Expedition 10, at time Berrimilla first made contact. Bio here. and Salizhan will be preparing to open the door in a few hours. We’ll be up there with you in spirit, guys and all the best. Makes Berri’s foredeck seem like a kiddies sandpit. It’s a shame we can’t wave from under the cloud.

From John

The Clark family wish you both all the best for the next leg. Keep up the dialog if you can – we are right there with you. Great to talk to Peter at the “”Bash””. Anything we can do? Glad the Dr arrived. Hope you get to play with the ISSInternational Space Station and your candle works – maybe they have an answer for throat infections and rampant foot feralsInteresting biological colonies that grow and fester in seaboots. There are left foot ferals and right foot ferals and occasionally they get to cross breed and create fierce hybrids.!

LeroyLeroy ChiaoLeroy Chiao: International Space Station Commander, Expedition 10, at time Berrimilla first made contact. Bio here.: International Space Station Commander, Expedition 10, at time Berrimilla first made contact. Bio here. & Salizhan would have travelled 84,559 miles, 48 yds, 2 ft and 8 ins during your marathon at the reported speed of the ISSInternational Space Station. Could you have not slowed down a tad so as to make it 50 yds or even a round 84,560 miles?

John C, I agree with your numbers – I’d got about as far as an estimate of 90K miles in my head as I was running and I checked it later. I couldn’t have gone much slower.

Caroline, if you ever get to read this, we’d both love to know who else is under your table – and please keep us updated with your news. Sorry we couldn’t manage a sail-past on the way out but conditions were deteriorating and we thought we’d better just go for the Narrows.

[Ed: article in the Sydney Morning Herald today here]