Monday 28 April 2008

noon 0510.37 16307.20

dtd 3920 dmg 109 so McQ wins today's sweepstake.

DMG since we started about 1900 miles, so about a third of the way.

Thanks Kimbra - spot on so far. Could you please do a series of potential waypoints from the equator to Dutch starting at about 164 E using your wx files? I'll stick them into the laptop and we can chase them.

Wind has just died. Damn!

Some news from the waterfront, so to speak. I swapped watermakers after expenditure of buckets of sweat and the backup seems to have the correct output - close to 4 ltrs/hr - so will give us more water for the bang. Or the buck. Or the diesel. And Whizzy Lizzie will actually cover the watermaker's 4-5 amps as long as we have breeze, so no need for the engine. Wood firmly touched, of course.

Caroline - cool and froody - glad you like HHGTTG. The Vortex is THE place to be - Berri's cockpit to a T. And isn't 'smalls' a knicker euphemism?

Carla - yay! thanks for both messages - prob too much crap around to see the ISS this time but you never know. The best passes are the high elevation ones - gets a bit murky towards the horizon. And I LOVED the delicate irony of 'applicable'. Keep em crossed! Wind just hanging in at the mo, and 600 to go to the trades - minimum 6 days of keepin' 'em crossed. Cd get uncomfortable but -hey! its in a good cause. Don't know how to sms you back and anyway v expensive, so we'll keep going this way? Perhaps you could let Speed know about the passes as well and perhaps put the link to the predictor on the website? Love ya too!(Speed having a think about this - Ed)

Later - was transmitting this very slowly and hit by huge squall, unexpected. Rushed on deck, 40 minutes of intense sweaty work dousing furler, re running preventers, tweaking main, hand steering, slowly abated and back down again. Tx aborted so time to add a bit. Been an interesting day. 2 reefs early to accommodate big squall, left them in. Mod to furler to sort drum problem, tweaker on the jib sheet to avoid having to move the car every time we take a bit on or out, watermakers swapped, first attempt at starvation rations (not really, but reduced anyway) indicates that if, as a survivor, I work this hard, I'll be the first to be eaten when the others get hungry. Raging thirst already and made a cup of tea. Think I've earned it.

Love yez all.