Latest Position and An Overview

Poesy orf for ther mo.

Position 0630 7th 3913 03906 trip 115 DMG 116! YAY! Progress and maybe even a smidge of current. Cook arrived at Christmas Harbour, Kerguelen, 25 days out from Cape Town. He did not know until much later that the French had already named it Baie de L'Oiseau after Kerguelen's frigate which got there first. Would be interesting to look at his track - he would have had less difficulty with 50 knot squalls and following seas. The quickest we could do it would be around 29 days if we decide to go.

Queer goings on abroad - there were distinct thick muddy brown streaks in the green ocean at 3906S 03847E. Thought at first I was hallucinating. They were a couple of metres wide, maybe 20 - 30 metres long, parallel, in line with our course of roughly east (T) and several metres apart and seemed to be shallow. No oily spectrum but the water was smoother. No solid matter that I could see. Hard to tell how far they extended. Don't know where they started but I noticed them through the window and went up to have a look. From when I first saw them, perhaps 500 metres till they stopped. Faint smell of something but could not identify. No AIS contacts but could be fishing boat emptying bilge perhaps?

About to pull in the next grib when I send this. The first of the critical ones that will inform the decision about the dive south to Kerguelen.

Christmas Day in Addis. Happys up there!

Not in the brochure

It's bloody 'orrible. Big SW swell, N wind @ 25-30, blowing for several hours to build 3m wind waves against swell. Tiny bit of headsail unrolled, almost bare poled and wind on stbd. qtr to try to keep the boat from getting airborne. 5 knots. Bleeeah! I want my mummy. Sadly, out here in the southern ocean there's no Scotty to beam us up, no Marvin to take over the controls as the spacecraft dives into the sun. Not even a Tardis. It's lump it or lump it. Chocolate fix called for. Grib says another 12 hours or so. The systems seem to be more compacted and variable than last time and the whole lot further north. Not the gentle ride the brochures promised.

Neurons battered and recalcitrant. Poesy unforthcoming - perhaps with position report later. Boot ferals excited.

Sue, thanks in advance for data. Y'all enjoy the Amazon!
Deborah, thanks for John Grunsfeld news. I was wondering what he was going to do for an encore.
Chris H in Eden, thanks for kind words. I think the loo is an entirely appropriate place for this stuff! And yes, I do know your boat - watched her being built over the years...You got a good one, I think. And thanks for kind offer - there is a digit missing from the mobile number you sent us but we will certainly be in touch next time we are in town.

Happy Christmas Hilary 3000 miles to the north. We're waving and we shall breakfast in your direction.

Talking of breakfast - Marcus, are you still out there in the restaurant? I had hoped to visit and have a Berri breakfast with you but never quite happened. Sorry!

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