Berrimilla Down Under Mars Status Report 17 September 2008

K: Pesky dolphins

I'm sitting here in the nav station listening to the water swish past the hull and the dolphins swim along side us. I can hear them squeaking and whistling to each other. Wonder what it is that they're saying? I was standing up on the bow earlier, doing the Titanic-pose thing, and there were 5 dolphins swimming under the bow of the boat. Every time Berri dipped her nose into a wave I could just about reach out and touch them, if they'd let me. So close in fact that I was getting splashed not by the waves but by the dolphins breathing when they surfaced. Very special. Very special indeed.

I'm going to be an optimist: I'm hoping that we can keep outrunning this high pressure system chasing us down from behind and keep Berri moving all the way to Falmouth. No park-ups allowed!! We're definitely back to pootling (ie sub-hooning and way slower than schooshling), but we're still making 5-6 kts in the right direction. So far so good, and the sailing is lovely! Sitting in the cockpit in the sun watching the world and its many dolphins go by. Maybe they could give us a tow if we need it? K.

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POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 18:58

McQ: Global Roast

Yesterday there were lots of rainy squalls and I thought, 'There are lots of rainy squalls, we must be getting close to England' But today the sky is a clear bright, bright blue, there are a couple of puffy clouds far off in the distance, low on the horizon, but totally benign, reflected in the sunlight to look as if someone with greasy fingerprints has been smudging the bottom of my pristine sky-blue canvas!! The wind is easing, easing all the time but we are still moving, and not too far off the right direction (a little south of Bishop Rock) We are somewhere between hooning and pootling at the moment, the sea is pretty flat, a wee bit of a chop- enough to stall us should we try and take any more height, and a few sploshes over the side decks- but not enough to warrant full musto smock today!!! Just hoping we can keep carrying the wind over the next day or so and keep going towards Falmouth... as I kinda knew, as the wind eases, my pub for Friday night guessimate looks less optimistic, still hopeful though and realistic me is updating eta to saturday morning now!!!! All to play for though, still, in the Bollinger G-F race!!!

We have this big plastic tub of real coffee which we top up every so often, actually, quite frequently really, with whatever make/design/type of coffee that comes to hand, and we have all different types from American Bistro style (weak adn largely unsatisfactory on its own!!) to proper full on 100% Colombian's finest (much better!!!) Depending on the various concentrations you either need two or three spoons of coffee in the pot- and when you top up the 'global roast' its always best to start with three and always exciting to taste the latest surprise combination!!!

The best thing though is when you pour the coffee out and it looks thick and black and strong,(the pot is a one cup thermos filter mug so you can't see the coffee till you pour it out!!) but you never quite know till you taste it whether the creamy froth on top is a sign of a good cup of coffee or just the remnants of fairy liquid scum attached to the mug!!! Lots (5 whole sugar cubes, infact) of love this morning

McQ
xxx

ps there are lots of birds about, small, unidentifiable (to me) but distinctly land based looking, I shall go wake K now so she can classify and, well, look at them I suppose!!

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POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 18:58

4952 01133 gribbery pokery

The Plan - as far as it goes and until we change it again: there seems to be a biggish windless hole about to be sitting over the Scillies which is likely to make things quite difficult for engineless Bears to get into town. When I spoke to Officialdom about the possibility of a tow into St Mary's, there was a certain reluctance to commit but the option is definitely there, on a commercial basis. So that's the backup. The grib shows that there is a chance, if we keep some speed up and edge ourselves a few miles to the south that we will be able to keep sailing generally towards Falmouth - so that's The Plan until it changes. It would put us close to Falmouth by Saturday, but beyond that it's really difficult to predict. Could be earlier, but more likely late Saturday, early Sunday. Apologies for lack of precision - navigation is often the art of compromise and playing the uncertainties.

For the doubters - yes, Berri is definitely available if the right proposal comes along. The most interesting so far "How exciting! Sorry we can't bankroll you, but why don't you make it your next project?" Maybe, but I'd certainly like to be part of anything that does happen. Else, I'll just keep the old barge in Cat 1 condition for as long as I can afford to or until one or the other of us falls off the twig.

We're almost in the Celtic Sea again. Can't believe it - Last time Berri was here, we were rounding the Fastnet in 2005. I can feel the voibes and smell the Kilkenny - where are you Conor? Sadly, we're just a bit too far south for any of that malarkey.

Izz, I think it's time for Sublime Thoughts. If you have time amongst other more pressing matters, cd you pse get on to the Energy, Mines, Resources Canada website and try to download the North Circumpolar Chart MCR 4141 from their National Atlas of Canada, 5th Ed. I tried in Nuuk but didn't have the bandwidth. (atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/ 5th Ed reference Maps MCR 4141 perhaps - my notes are a bit cryptic.) I'd like to get it printed full size if I can find someone to do it, or else order one from Canada.

Victor - Taupo Radio broadcast pretty much all the time - See ALRS - and I hear them on 6224 mcs. Callsign Taupo radio.

For the ABC - we might be in mobile range by Friday evening UTC but iffy. You'll have to call me - I don't know whether either of my sims has credit on it and anyway I don't have a number to call you. +4407770776274 or +447816004379. Hoonster - gather methane while ye may! Hope the project proceeds sheeplessly iaw plan. Glad you got to speak to H. I agree absolutely! Love yez all!

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POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 10:57

Google Earth updates

Just at present I'm unable to update G.earth. Back on air hopefully friday. Speedy.

POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 08:47

4956 01158

I'm a weary old fart. This sort of sailing, where we have to sail in very difficult weather conditions against seasonal deadlines and in complicated terrain with extra hazards like ice and fog is pretty stressful and Berri and I have been in a sort of survival sync probably since leaving Dutch and certainly since Nome. When the whole shebang depends on the planning and preparation that was done months ago, the focus sharpens a bit. As I have said before. we've been astonishingly astoundingly lucky, with the weather, the ice and the advice we have been given. We seem to have got it mostly right, and, as Pat said in one of his blogs, it makes for a boring story apart from the wonderful people we have met along the way, and all y'all out there cheering us on. Thanks everyone. The weight only really started to come off for me yesterday morning when I pulled in a grib file that showed no signs of another beasting between here and Falmouth. By far the worst bit of all for me, and I suspect for the others, has been since we left Greenland - more or less what I had been afraid of since we started to plan this gig. September is pushing our luck in the North Atlantic and - again - we were lucky.

We'll be even luckier if we make Falmouth by Friday - the decision whether to go for it or pull into the Scillies for an engine fix will be made probably within sight of Bishop Rock, if the wind lets us get that close.

MJC - pse tell Melanie journo that my local mobile will be either +447816004379 or +447770776274 depending which still has some credit on it. Failing either, Oz mobile number might work or message via website.

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POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 07:06

McQ: tactical decision time for the competitiors in the Bollinger Greenland Falmouth Race

Ladbrokes/William Hill/ Paddy's/ Your local betting shop would be having a field day with this one- its 221 miles to Bishoop Rock, plus 49 to the Lizard plus 20 to Falmouth which is less than 300 till champagne!!! We are zooming along in the right direction at about 6 knots at the moment, so that would get us to Falmouth in the not too distant future!! HOWEVER, we are being chased (aaargh!!) by a big phat high... which will slow us down, if not stop us, then we have the tides to contend with, no wind and no engine and 3knots tide againt us at the Lizard if we time it wrong (if we are indeed in a position to time it at all!!) we go backwards (and we know how much I hate going backwards!!!)

So... if we can ghost on through the high with the big A-sail up like the past few days, and then not get stuffed by tide (I think we need to be at hte Lizard 2pm ish or 12 hours later) then Friday evening a vague possibility, otherwise, and more likely saturday morning or afternoon, especially with minimal wind and no Ernie to help or sometime loong after that if we find ourseloves drifting aimlessly near the scillies in a few days time with no wind, we may still go in to pause/reflect/and fix there...... either way, this Bollinger Greenland Falmouth race (which I entered us into last week, but fortunately exists only in my head!!!) looks an exciting tactical one... and it must be nearly time for me to start getting excited too!!!

.. and enjoy the last few days of Atlantic Ocean!! Lots of nearly there love

McQ
xxx

ps I'd very much like it if one (or more, but one would be fine)of my friends could make it to Falmouth to welcome me in!! Thanks!!

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POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 07:06

K: The Brolga spreads her wings and flys!

Since yesterday's dawn kite-drop we have been fairly schooshling along on a tight reach towards the UK. Truly exhilarating sailing & fast enough to keep our escort of pesky dolphins interested. Yea ha! And yes, schooshling is a real word - it's the sound the sea makes as it slides past the boat hull when you're going really fast. Let's hope we can keep schooshling fast enough so that the high pressure system behind us doesn't catch-up too quickly and we can keep this wind for a bit longer.

A couple of milestones. Firstly, Happy Birthday Mare-Bare!! As expected, we haven't quite made landfall in time, but I hope the pressie from Cambridge Bay arrived. Will see you real soon now with bottle of red in hand, so keep that Aussie pub rock karaoke CD handy! (Ray may want to arrange a game of golf that day.)

Secondly, Lizzie's been whizzing frantically all day and both batteries are now back to 100% charge. Yay.

And finally, we're now starting to "climb" up the edge of the continental shelf out of the Atlantic Ocean and into the Celtic Sea. A week ago when we were getting hammered by those big low pressure systems, it felt like this day would never come! Depth under the keel is currently around 2.3 km. By this time tomorrow it should be 100-150 as we pass south of Ireland. I can smell the Guinness brewing from here...or is that just the collective fermenting of damp thermals & used socks? Cheers! K.

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POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 07:06