A bit further from the bar

Manuel Mendes - the bearded one - boatbuilder, fixer, sailor extraordinaire - is looking after us in royal fashion. He was up at 0330 this morning sending Groupama off into the 25 's knot SEasterly that is blowing now and funnelling down the mountain past Manuel's house at 50 - 60 knots. The cloud rolls down the side of the mountain in huge swathes and as it cools here, it will start to drizzle.
Fixes all under way but nothing resolved yet.
We had a supporting breakfast Con on Friday as the sun went down at RANSA and Bill W did his thing for us. Thanks everyone!
And thanks too for all your messages - rather too long a list for this note.

Doug - fascinating stuff - and there's a book, now out of print by Raymond Rallier du Baty called Aventure aux Kerguelens which you might enjoy. He has the SWestern peninsula named after him. Malcom, thanks for red circles around the mines. I'll bear them in mind!